9th Annual Convocation with Maestro Vinod Khanna

We celebrated the 9^th Annual Convocation of its 16^th & 17^th graduating batches on July 18, 2016. The event witnessed a vibrant afternoon with around 1000 people comprising industry professionals, parents of the students and students full of alluring hopes and energy, where their achievements were acknowledged and appreciated with awards and commendations.

This year, legendary singer, Lata Mangeshkar and acclaimed actor-producer, Vinod Khanna, were conferred with the ‘Whistling Woods Maestro Award’, for their invaluable contribution to Indian cinema. Visionary entrepreneur and multiplex baron, Ajay Bijli, Managing Director and Chairman, PVR Ltd, addressed the students with an inspiring speech as the keynote speaker, sharing his words of wisdom and key entrepreneurial skills.

The ceremony began with Subhash Ghai, Meghna Ghai Puri, Ravi Gupta, Manmohan Shetty, lighting the lamp, followed by a video demonstrating various milestones achieved by us in a span of 10 years. One of the key highlights of the event was the performance of Aishwarya Majmudar of Kaanchi & Prem Ratan Dhan Payo fame, who left the audience in awe as she rendered some songs of Lata Mangeshkar ji as a tribute to the legendary singer.

 Also seen at the event presenting commendations to students were film director, Amol Gupte, Chairman, Adlabs, Manmohan Shetty, film producer Rajkumar Barjatya, among others.  

“With this graduating batch, we, at Whistling Woods International have accomplished ten successful years. It gives me immense pleasure to share that we have delivered on what we committed when we set out to start the institute in 2006. The constant efforts by Meghna, Rahul, Ravi Gupta and the faculty have been instrumental in shaping the institute and I am honoured to be a part of the fulfilling first decade journey.  I wish that legendary personalities like Lata ji, Vinod Khanna and industry stalwarts like Ajay Bijli, continue to inspire us to create more well-honed industry ready professionals and thereby helping students make great careers in a holistic way”, said, Subhash Ghai, Founder & Chairman, Whistling Woods International.

Thanking everyone present at the annual Convocation ceremony, Meghna Ghai Puri, President, Whistling Woods International, said, “It’s a great day today for all of us as we celebrate the graduation day of the 16^th & 17^th batches of Whistling Woods International at the end of our 10th year of running the institute. Ten years back on the same date we brought in force my father’s long held dream of opening a world-class teaching school for film aspirants in Bombay and today we are recognised as one of the leading film, communication and media arts institute in the country, a sense of achievement for all of us as we gear up to take on the journey for many more decades to come. I congratulate the students and wish them all the very best for their future.”

Now, more than 1100 alumni are successfully working in the Media and Entertainment industry, having bagged prestigious projects in filmmaking, animation and acting. Recent and popular projects, include, Mohenjo Daro, Sultan, Udta Punjab, Kapoor & Sons, Masaan, The Jungle Book, Fan, Neerja, Bajirao Mastani, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, PK, Highway, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania to name a few, as filmmakers in various capacities and Shashank Arora - Titli; Rajshri Deshpande - Angry Indian Goddesses, among others, as actors in prominent roles in critically acclaimed and award winning films.

The 2nd edition of our Graduation Show - AIYANNA 2016

We hosted the 2nd edition of our fashion graduation show ‘AIYANNA' 2016, on July 10, 2016. The show saw models from the fashion industry walking the ramp in brilliant couture collections each with an innovative theme followed by the screening of fashion movies, designed and created by the graduating batch respectively. It’s the first time ever for a fashion design school to have offered an opportunity to the students to showcase their creativity via movies bringing out the competitive stylist in their own distinct way.


The collections and fashion movies at the graduation show were judged by a jury panel which included well-known personalities from the Indian fashion industry, namely, Meher Castelino – Fashion Journalist & Consultant, Sonal Jindal – Entrepreneur & Designer, Medusa and Shereen Sikka Bharwani  – Creative Director at Love And Other Bugs LLP. The students of the graduating batch were mentored by veterans and experts like Anjana Sharma and Aparna Badlani to name a few.


The glitzy evening witnessed prominent guests from the film fraternity and corporate world like, Subhash Ghai - Founder & Chairman, Whistling Woods International, Prahlad Kakkar - Indian Ad Film Director, amongst others. Other special guest from the fashion industry including Snower Sania - Fashion Designer and Stylist & Owner of label – Summer Snow, Vibha Keshwani - Costume Designer & Celebrity Fashion Stylist and Shalini Mehta - Fashion Stylist & Editor, shalinimehta.com also attended the event.

The themes of the collections and movies, proudly and beautifully presented by the students of the school, were inspired by varied categories of art, culture, travel and literature from across the globe. The first time ever students of a fashion design school showcased creativity via uniquely themed fashion movies and collections. While the garment collections were titled, IGENEOUS, LA DEGEL, PLAY, AMAARA, WABI-SABI, COSMIC NAVY, the titles of the fashion movies were REBIRTH, AEON, LUCID DREAM, NARA-NARI.

Neeta Lulla, Founder & Dean of Whistling Woods International School of Fashion, said, “It’s wonderful to see the brilliant outcome of the students’ immense hardwork put in through the years, today and not forgetting to mention the efforts and mentoring by the faculty and fashion industry veterans from time to time. I am extremely proud to see the graduating batch overpowering the threshold of being industry efficient. In this duration of the course, we have offered the best guidance to groom each student and make them efficient to take on the fashion world. I wish them all the best for their future endeavors.”

“I believe that institutions are not built by bricks and locations alone. I am extremely proud of the students, faculty and committed staff to make every successful step at WWI possible. For the stars of the event, I would just like to say: You stand at the end of one road, but are also standing at the beginning of another. Always remember to be courageous, diligent and humble! We wish you all the very best for your next steps in life.” said, Meghna Ghai Puri, President, Whistling Woods International.

Best Apparel Construction – Vaidehi Dharap for her collection ‘PLAY’

Best Collection & Designer – Tamana Kothari for her collection ‘IGNEOUS’

Best Movie & Best Styling – Amrita Banerjee for her fashion movie ‘NARA-NARI’

Best Commercially Viable Collection – Simran Oberoi for her collection ‘COSMIC-NAVY'

'Foundation Design', by WWISFD Faculty Zenish Mehta

Drawing can best be best described as a written language that helps us flawlessly convey ideas even words cannot represent. A designer has to tackle with many such difficult ideas and concepts and this makes it paramount for him to learn how to draw and paint.

The basic of design is to first starts with drawing a simple strait line. Learning how to control ones arm and the pressure of their pencil will have on the paper. It’s important to understand the concepts of simple shapes and rendering, slowly moving towards more complex shapes and fractals. Once this is done we move on to visualization.

The next step is to understanding space. Visualization is incomplete if the artist doesn’t understand the space around it, artists in and around history have strived to make art which can show spaces like the ones we have in real life. There are many books, many theories and styles to do so, we explore some of these theories and understand how to visualize and illustrate spaces.

After space comes human form, being a fashion artist means to understand a human form in and out. Where each muscle is situated, how would it budge and form and with what movement will what part of the body crease. We understand all of the basics of human form, from proportions to how an animated human reacts to different parts of the body. And then we apply it to the human form.

Next we start with colour, the principles of colour, the theory, the history and the application. Understanding the art of abstraction and form colour patterns such that we can find the best combinations within colours and light. Finally understanding how to form correlations with colour and form or with colour and space.

Once the principles of colour theory is establish, we learn the craft of colouring. Learning the techniques of using various colouring materials. What would be the best way of using them and where would any of these materials be best used, finally making the foundation strong for a better technique of drawing and colouring.

Constant practice and repetition will help become better at visualization and representation in turn making a better artist and designers.

Design Process:

Designing something is usually more than decorating or making it look good. We understand the aesthetics and functionality of that product and design it accordingly. Because of this, we need to approach every product differently. Learning every approach would be tedious and time consuming and so we learn the design process such that we can handle every approach intuitively.

As said before, Design process is a process to learn different approaches to designing. The first step is to learn what types of designs are there in the industry, to understand what constitutes a design and what types of designs can be considered good designs from bad designs. Once aided with this information we can move to learn about different approaches of this process.

Starting with a simple process we take simple forms and create patterns, tessellations and structures with them. We use different materials and use them to create designs. We then move on to more complex exercises where we tackle products that require more detailed process and better approaches.

Lastly we take these techniques of design process and we apply it to different aspects of character design and costume design. We take stories and characters from these stories and we design the look of these characters. We learn how to design according to their social and emotional situation, their story and scenario and their physical and psychological traits.

Designers' Perspective, by WWISFD Faculty, Shilpa Soneji

When a designer wants to design a garment, he begins with a picture of the client in mind. He then breathes life into this picture by adding depth to it. Which reflects the person, the personality, the occasion and the other requirement like location, budget and social norms, if applicable.  Keeping all the above in mind the designer put down his thought, design on paper through Illustration.

While coming up with a design the designer mentally analyses the physical virtues of the client and look at ways to exchange them while objectively noting the flaws and finding innovative ways to push them into the background.

Finally, once the assemble is ready, the styling of the entire look is worked on from the hair and makeup to the accessories and shoes. This entire mental design process is then finished, often without a conscious thought. For instance, if a lady wants an evening gown, and she is petite, long vertical line with the help of pleats would help add length if it is made in generous proposition, a gracefully open and broad neck line would add length to her neck and face, if she is pale; a bright color that reflects the undertone of her skin and bring out her natural glow would be ideal…. and so on so forth.

In conclusion, it is a designer’s prime objective to weave a seamless connect between the client’s desires and the designer’s vision. This amalgamation of creative thoughts should be unique and individualistic, reflecting not only the designer’s creativity but more the client and her personality.

WWISFD students recreating garments of the pre-historic era

Prehistory means literally "before history", from the Latin word for "before," præ, and Greek ιστορία. Human prehistory is the period from the time that behaviorally and anatomically modern humans first appear until the appearance of recorded history following the invention of writing systems. Since both the time of settlement of modern humans and the evolution of human civilisations, differ from region to region, prehistory starts and ends at different moments in time, depending on the region concerned.

The prehistoric people were basically nomads. The men used to hunt and hence were called the “hunters” and the women used to gather fruits and were hence called the “gatherers”. They started wearing animal skin  and animal hair. Animal skin give them warmth. They also wore leaves and grass sometimes. 



To show the same clothing style our students used muslin and artificial fur. To get the effect , they dyed the muslin. They used jute (the material of jute sacks, usually called “gonis” to get an authentic look. They applied fevicryl brown paint  to have the desired look on muslin, applied charcoal for the rustic look on the costumes, sutali (thin jute rope) stone and pebbles for ornamentation.


For shoes jute have been used, and cane grass have been used for stuffing shoes which was used to keep the feet warm during winters. Bamboos have been used to make the tent and muslin to cover it. There are cave paintings done on the muslin cloth to give the ‘prehistoric’ effect. 

WWISFD students recreating garments of the Minoan Era.

The Minoan civilization was an Aegean Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and other Aegean islands such as Santorini and flourished from approximately 3650 to 1400 BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of British archaeologist Arthur Evans.

They had a very complex culture, more advanced than many of the societies that followed it. This complexity is shown in the artistically designed and skillfully made clothing they wore.

The Minoans sewed skirts and blouses that were shaped to the body of the wearer. Crete is located in the southern Mediterranean and has a hot climate, so heavy clothes were not needed. Ancient Minoan men wore only loincloths, which were small pieces of fabric wrapped around the waist to cover the genitals. Loincloths were made from a wide variety of materials, such as linen, leather, or wool, and decorated with bright colors and patterns. Many had a decorative pagne or sheath that covered and protected the penis, and some had long aprons in the front and back with tassels or fringe. 

While early Minoan men usually went bare-chested, in the later years of the Minoan civilization men often wore simple tunics and long robes. 

Minoan women wore skirts that flared out from the waist in a bell shape, with many decorations attached to the cloth. Later designs were made from strips of fabric, sewn in ways that created rows of ruffles from waist to ankle. Women also wore close-fitting blouses that were cut low in the front to expose the breasts. A tiny waist was prized, and both men and women wore tight belts made of metal, which held their waists in.

Our students recreated the garments from the era by doing thorough research  and under the guidance of our faculty. They got to learn a lot about the culture and the sartorial preferences of the era, which they can later use in creating garments that would combine the best of the contemporary age, to cater to modern sensibilities.

WWISFD students recreating garments of the Egyptian Era

Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient North-eastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. It is one of six civilizations globally to arise independently. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC. The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying, surveying and construction techniques that supported the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics, a practical and effective system of medicine, irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques, the first known planked boats, Egyptian faience and glass technology, new forms of literature, and the earliest known peace treaty, made with the Hittites. Egypt left a lasting legacy. 

A new-found respect for antiquities and excavations in the early modern period by Europeans and Egyptians led to the scientific investigation of Egyptian civilization and a greater appreciation of its cultural legacy.

Our students created two looks for the Egyptian civilization, a male and female. The male look comprised of a loincloth made of cotton which we wrapped around the dummy. Over the loincloth was the Shenti. Students constructed the shenti out of a flowy white cloth like georgette and pleated the material. The Shenti consisted of a central part called Chendot. We constructed it using the material that bore Egyptian motifs. The male outfit also comprised of a Pectoral Necklace which in ancient Egypt was made of pure gold and lapis-lazuli stone. It also has gold bracelets. A Gold menes was also made by us as the men in the ancient Egypt wore gold masks. There is also a false beard which the Egyptian men wore with their masks.

The female look consisted of the Kalasiris, which the students made of a sheer white pleated material. Kalasiris had a golden belt which was worn above it. There is a sleeved covering called “Haik” which is put over the Kalasiris. The females also wore Pectoral necklace similar to what the men wore. The hair is braided into tiny numerous braids. The Female dummy has a Snake Headgear which we created using gold papers.

Creating these looks was a great learning experience for us the students as they got to research a lot about Egyptian culture and discovered a lot of facts about the Egyptian Civilization.

WWISFD Students Went To Hyderabad On A Study Tour

WWISFD Students were taken to Hyderabad on a study tour to show the art and culture of a state of India (Telangana), which also includes textile as an element. The knowledge and experience that they have gathered from this tour will act as design-inspiration for them in days to come. They got to visit weavers’ service centre, fashion designer Gaurang Shah’s studio, craft village – Shilparamam, to understand the nuances of various techniques used in the process of creating fibre-to-fabric.

Weavers Service Center, set up by the Central Government to uplift the handloom industry. At this center, our students were introduced to various weaving machines that are used to weave Jaquard, Dorby  and Double Jacquard. Here, they also learned the technique and process of Block Printing and Kalamkari, while also understanding the of process of making vegetable dyes

Main highlight of the tour was meeting and interacting with the award winning textile designer, Gaurang Shah who has created a revolution in India; he is trying to uplift the art of weaving and popularising Khadi. He works with 450 weavers across five states in India and they showcase their stunning designs all over the world; the recent event was the Berlin Fashion Week

Our students spent a day with Gaurang at his studio understanding the process of designing and getting acquainted to different kind of weaves in saris like, Jamdani Designs, Ikkat, Patola, which are woven in geometric patterns in bright  colors. Later, we took our students to the villages where weavers weave these saris. This helped them to understand the different processes involved in the making of fiber-to-fabric, which includes dyeing and weaving. 

Our students also Bidri Work – The art of Inlaying silver in a dark metal base . It is a 400 years old craft. There are 3 main forms Nashan (deeply cut work) , Zar Nashan (raised work) , Tarkashi (wire inlay work). Our students would be following these techniques and incorporating them in forms of embroidery and embellishments on their creation.

Our students also visited a craft village named Shilparamam - a place where artisans from across India showcase their individual skills in a variety of arts, crafts and culture. From Indian pottery to a plethora of weaves, woodwork, jewelry, clothes and local crafts of each region of the country.

While in Hyderabad, our students went to the following places:

Mecca Masjid – one of the biggest and the oldest masjid of India . the students visited the Laad bazar which is famed for its sparkling bangles called Lac & Basra pearls

Charminar – ‘ Mosque of the Four Minarets’  and ‘ Four Towers

Salarjung Museum – The Third largest museum in India . The museum houses magnificent exhibits of Indian  Art , Middle Eastern Art , Far Eastern Art and European Art & Textiles. The idea behind taking the students to this museum was to understand the ancient art and textiles which would act as an inspiration for them in future.

For more pics from the study tour to Hyderabad, visit http://on.fb.me/1Tq62G2

WWISFD Masterclass with Fashion Stylist, Snower Sania

It was a pleasure to have fashion stylist, Snower Sania  to conduct a WWISFD Masterclass for our students.

In the masterclass , Snower  Sania shared insight on fashion styling as a profession and its importance in today’s industry. She spoke about the current trends & contemporary styling techniques. She also explained the process of understanding trends in connection to the various body types, colors and personality. She said, “Fashion styling alone carries many options in terms of profession.” She also explained each aspect and as to how students could choose & decide the correct option, depending on their passion.

Talking of fashion styling she shared the work responsibilities of a fashion stylist, difficulties faced and prospects in the fashion industry. Usually there is a general confusion about the roles of a Stylist and a Designer. She clarified the doubts of the students and said, “Fashion styling is a part of fashion designing. A person can be a good designer but not necessary a good stylist and vice versa. The stylist is a person who not only guides or helps one in terms of their clothing but also oversees into the complete makeover of the person, from make-up to hair to accessories etc. that one chooses to wear or put together.”

She also shared her current work with the students giving them insights of the profession, which was very motivating. Overall the session with Snower Sania was informative yet enjoyable for the students.   

WWISFD Masterclass with Gaviin Miguel

 It was our pleasure to have the acclaimed fashion designer, Gaviin Miguel conduct a WWISFD Masterclass. At the masterclass, Gaviin shared insight and nuances to help our students understand and identify pret, bespoke & couture wear. He also helped our students to understand the technical details that goes into designing and creating these garments, alongside he also shared the commercial value of these creations in today’s day and age.

His journey from  being an aspiring fashion designer to making a mark in the industry as a successful designer did inspire our students. One of his most important learning that he shared with our students was, “It is very important for each designer to have a mark of their own, which will  not only make them stand out amongst others but also secure their position in the industry.” Gaviin also said, "To be a good designer it’s important to be a good human being, because what you are, reflects from the clothes that you make. Each design that you make should carry your heart and soul."

In his interaction with the students he spoke about his recent venture, Disney’s recreation of the magical Broadway, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ that was showcased in Mumbai  & Delhi. Gaviin was the Costume Designer for the theatre version of the musical. He shared his experience working for a Broadway theme and what it takes for a designer to be versatile but still holding on to that one thing that makes you different from others, your forte.

Overall, it was a very educative, enriching experience for the students to interact with Gaviin Miguel.

Babita Malkani on Indian Fusion Wear and Styling

Babita Malkani is a name to reckon with in the Indian Fashion Industry. A fashion career spanning close to two decades with a very distinct, urban sense of styling and a high level of comfort with international fabric and styles, epitomizes the ensemble of Babita Malkani, ‘Babita M, which was launched in the year 2006.

On the global front, she has earned noteworthy exposure. She was chosen to design the winning team’s jackets for the ICC Champion’s Trophy 2009 in South Africa, and in the same year, she also showcased her collection at the Dubai Fashion Week. 

With a knack to create high fashion in a chic avatar, designer Babita Malkani marries Haute Couture, rich fabrics with vivacious cuts and drapes, in a fun, edgy and one-of-a-kind manner. With International, cutting-edge silhouettes in mind, her outfits exude a global sensibility that enhances their appeal. 

We invited Babita Malkani to conduct a Masterclass for our students to help them understand the nuances of 'Indian Fusion Wear and Styling', and she readily accepted our invitation. 

At the masterclass she explained the story behind her recent collection called ‘Talim’ and the execution of the collection. Talim refers to a written code for weaving the oriental rugs and carpets created by Kashmiris for the pattern of knotting handmade carpets. 

Babita Malkani’s travels to Kashmir inspired her to work with 'Windows of Paradise', which form an integral part of the Talim carpets prevalent in Kashmir. She explained the making of the collection to the students, which has an indo-western appeal and lays emphasis on constructed silhouettes, signature drapes along with a blend of chic crops, pencil skirts and stylized pants giving it styles to suit the modern sensibilities of today’s women. 

At the masterclass, she suggested the students to create practical, wearable, trendy and creative designs for the graduation show collection. 

Later in the masterclass, Babita asked our students to illustrate 2 designs each on the basis of practicality, wearability & trendy, out of which she selected 2 students’ design which she really felt was different and creative. 

Babita also showed our students a few techniques of how to drape a dress.

Overall, at this masterclass our students got to learn a lot from the very talented designer, while also getting a sneak peek into the rich sartorial tradition of Kashmir.