Dr. T. Vijayalakshmi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fashion Design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kannur. She has over 15 years of academic experience and five years of industry experience in garment merchandising and export. Her expertise spans apparel design, garment construction, pattern making, textile science, fashion styling, and sustainable fashion. She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses while actively contributing to academic administration, curriculum development, and examination management. She previously served as Head of the Department of Costume Design and Fashion at PSGR Krishnammal College for Women and qualified the UGC-NET in Home Science.

Her research focuses on sustainable textiles, natural fibres, natural dyeing, textile innovation, and AI applications in fashion. She completed her PhD on nettle fibre development and has published research in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. She served as Co-Project Investigator for a Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology-funded project on banana fibre and regularly presents research at national and international conferences. She also reviews manuscripts for academic journals.

Dr. Vijayalakshmi mentors students in research, innovation, and portfolio development while promoting sustainability through community and institutional projects. She actively participates in faculty development programmes, workshops, and outreach initiatives and remains committed to advancing sustainable and technology-driven fashion education.