Ms. Hema Yuvaraj
Assistant Professor, Department of Fashion & Lifestyle Accessories

Ms. Hema Yuvaraj is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fashion & Lifestyle Accessories at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Mumbai. She has over thirteen years of academic experience in design education and teaches courses in Accessories Design, Leather Goods Design and Manufacturing, Craft-based Design Projects, Fashion Trend and Forecast Research, Fashion Marketing and Management, Visual and Product Merchandising, Research Methodology, Design Process, and the Foundation Programme. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Accessory Design from NIFT Chennai. Her expertise lies in accessory design, leather goods, product development, design thinking, and integrating traditional crafts with contemporary design practices.

Her research interests include design process, craft studies, fashion history, trend forecasting, fashion marketing, and human-centred design. She has mentored students in national-level design competitions and guided several craft-based design projects involving terracotta, papier-mâché, wood and stone carving, temple jewellery, and natural fibres. Before joining academia, she worked as a designer at KH Industries, where she specialised in leather goods product development for international brands such as Hugo Boss, Cole Haan, and Coach. She also designed product ranges for the retail brand H&S and participated in the India International Leather Fair in collaboration with Swarovski, showcasing jewelled leather goods. Her academic interests continue to focus on bridging industry practices, craft innovation, and design research.

Beyond teaching and research, Ms. Hema Yuvaraj is passionate about preserving India’s craft heritage through design education and encouraging students to develop socially relevant, innovative, and market-oriented design solutions. She actively mentors students in creative exploration, research, and interdisciplinary learning while fostering collaboration between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design. Her professional interests include sustainable design, craft revival, design innovation, and advancing design education through research-driven and industry-oriented pedagogical practices.