Ashish Kumar is an Assistant Professor in the Fashion Design Department at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kolkata, where he also serves as the Centre Coordinator for the Fashion Design Department. His primary areas of expertise include pattern making, draping, garment construction, apparel development, menswear, Indian wear, couture and prêt, Portfolio Development, and fashion design education. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Design Department, NIFT Delhi, and a Master’s degree in Design. He brings professional and academic experience in fashion design, apparel development, and design pedagogy. His teaching focuses on developing students’ technical, creative, and problem-solving abilities through an integration of design concepts, pattern development, garment construction, and industry-oriented practices.
His research interests focus on sustainable fashion, post-consumer textile waste, circular design, and zero-waste pattern making. His ongoing doctoral research at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, explores the application of zero-waste pattern-making approaches to address post-consumer textile waste and develop sustainable apparel solutions. He is also interested in the documentation, preservation, and contemporary application of Indian textile and craft traditions. His academic and professional activities include craft and cluster-based research, industry interaction, student research projects, field documentation, and collaborative initiatives that connect design education with artisans, craft communities, and the fashion industry.
In addition to teaching and research, Ashish Kumar actively engages in student mentoring, curriculum development, jury activities, craft-cluster documentation, industry interaction, and academic outreach. He is particularly interested in strengthening the connection between classroom learning and real-world fashion practices through field visits, workshops, industry exposure, and experiential learning. His professional interests include emerging technologies in fashion education, sustainable apparel development, pattern innovation, traditional craft revival, and the integration of contemporary design methods with Indian cultural practices. He continues to mentor students in design development, technical skills, research, and professional practice while contributing to academic and institutional activities at NIFT Kolkata.