Interview with Rekha Kejriwal, Academic Director of the Academy of Fashion and Art ( AFA )

An exclusive interview with Rekha Kejriwal, Academic Director of the Academy of Fashion and Art ( AFA )

Welcome to an illuminating interview with Rekha Kejriwal, the Academic Director of the prestigious Academy of Fashion and Art (AFA). With an extensive background in education and a keen eye for artistic excellence, Rekha Kejriwal has been a driving force behind AFA’s reputation as a beacon of innovation and creativity in the realm of fashion and art education.

Her dynamic leadership has guided countless students towards realizing their creative potential and achieving remarkable success in their respective fields. In this interview, we have the privilege of delving into Rekha Kejriwal’s profound insights, transformative strategies, and unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation of artistic visionaries.

Join us as we uncover the invaluable contributions and visionary perspectives of a remarkable trailblazer in the realm of creative education.

Can you tell us about your background and journey that led you to become the Academic Director of AFA?

Rekha Kejriwal: I am passionate about teaching. I am blessed to have good mentors. Having done my masters in Fine arts was always inspired by my mentors who used to serve their multitasking duties efficiently. My father always supported me to work hard and keep learning.

My mentors always influenced me to face challenges and perform better. It was a very small team when we started AFA and learned about the requirement of the students who are looking for a Creative career. In this process got connected to a lot of subject experts, colleges, and students of various reputed schools, conducted seminars on creative careers, and spoke to a lot of parents.

This gave an insight of the requirement of the entrance, overall students faith in their satisfaction and continuous serving gave me the opportunity to serve AFA as the Academic Director

What are the key courses and programs offered at AFA, and how do they cater to the diverse interests and aspirations of aspiring fashion and art professionals?

Rekha Kejriwal: A design aspirant approach AFA for B DES/ M DES/ B ARCH/ BFA/ PORTFOLIO National and International Design Colleges. It may be a college of National Importance like NID, NIFT, or IIT.

It may be renowned Design Colleges of India like United World Institute of Design (UID), The Design Village, UPES Dehradun, Pearl Academy, IIAD, WUD, etc.

Students join AFA GAT- General Aptitude Test, CAT-Creative Ability Test, DAT – Design Aptitude Test, NID Prelims, NID Mains, Situation Test, Studio Test Group Discussion, Interview, UCEED, CEED.

AFA has gained a reputation for producing successful graduates. Could you share some success stories of alumni who have gone on to make significant contributions to the fashion and art industry?

Rekha Kejriwal: Yes, the list is quite long and it will be difficult to take any name. But through various sources and social media updates, I can see any of them are working as design professionals in various industries in apparel, products, UI/UX, digital Marking, social media influencers, entrepreneurs, serving startups, education industry, working with designers, Government sector, education industry.

It is surprising to see them asking me to recognize them, they tell me they are AFA alumni. I feel proud to get admired by them. 

How do you ensure that AFA’s curriculum remains up-to-date with the latest industry trends and technologies?

Rekha Kejriwal: Monitoring all previous years’ papers and analyzing the current papers. Making sure that all new questions and patterns are part of the current curriculum. It’s teamwork, we divide our work and try to merge the opinion of all subject experts in the updating and include a lot of practice questions.

Today’s learners need more connection with the lessons and in AFA we try to serve them by solving all their queries.

AFA emphasizes practical experience and hands-on learning. Can you elaborate on the practical opportunities available to students during their time at the academy?

Rekha Kejriwal: Design entrance preparation is all about practical experience and hands-on learning. For solving a creative question properly you should have good practice on fundamentals. For example, if we have 10 other uses of pencil other than writing, then you might have a lot of ideas like using a pencil as a bookmark mixing solution in a beaker, support for climbers, etc.

But for visual presentation, you should know how to draw a pencil in detail in various angles, how to draw other objects like beaker, book, climbers and how to connect both so that you may visually explain the question effectively.

If you have to cut and paste something then we believe in making them do practically in place of watching the same in social media. All design grammar, advanced drawing, creative thinking, observation, and regular practice of creative exercises are part of our curriculum.

In your opinion, what are the essential qualities and skills that aspiring fashion and art students need to develop to thrive in the competitive industry?

Rekha Kejriwal: Keep your observation very strong, Even if you love eating instant noodles observe the packet, the brand name, the manufacturer, weight, price, ingredient, the process of cooking, and nutritional value, all this information are designed for its user and if the user ignores the same, how will they improve observation and set your goals. It may be for whatever you like.

Learn to present your idea through visual presentation. Draw and explain the process of preparing noodles, and show your excitement about eating individually or with your friends visually.

If you love observing, if you love visual presentation, if you love to get your creativity noticed, if you love to communicate design, if you are appreciated for your choices, if your creativity is noticed by others, if you think out of the box,  then definitely you are for this industry. 

AFA has a diverse faculty with extensive industry experience. How do you ensure that students receive mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals?

Rekha Kejriwal: As all are their likings and choices and there are various reasons for getting noticed and appreciated. Yes as a team as mentioned earlier we keep monitoring previous years papers and based on the requirement we make sure that all topics are taught in a planned way by different subject experts.

We have divided our curriculum in various levels and subjects experts take care of all levels, may it be GAT, CAT, Environmental and social awareness, Scientific concepts, discussing previous years papers, evaluating students’ performance through tests and so on.

The fashion and art industry is constantly evolving. How does AFA prepare its students to adapt and stay ahead of these changes?

Rekha Kejriwal: We keep on monitoring the important websites like NIFT, NID, IITs, UID and various other renowned institutes of India. the various lectures arranged by the Design professors of the renowned colleges, and participating in various events arranged y various design colleges allow us to understand the upcoming opportunities and requirements.

Even AFA alumni are invited and they too share their experiences regarding upcoming updates. This Association helps us in guiding students about upcoming opportunities.

What advice would you give to aspiring fashion and art students who are considering enrolling at AFA to pursue their passion?

Rekha Kejriwal: AFA welcomes all who really have the creative bend of mind. If you are creative or ready to learn and explore then it is a place. Apart from good infrastructure, updated material, subject experts, past results, a good data base of students, and online and offline connections if you are ready to devote yourself to your passion, do join AFA.

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