Tihar inmates are now learning stitching skills

Inmates of Tihar jail are being imparted stitching skills by a leading fashion designing institute to help them join the mainstream.

“Recently in Tihar jail we helped the inmates to have their own set ups as part of the project of our Indian institute. This was aimed to facilitate them to stitch basic garments and make them independent,” celelebrated Italian fashion expert Antonio Maurizio Grioli told a press meet on Monday.

“Our students and experts are imparting skills to the inmates at our fashion laboratory so that they can rehabilitate themselves after their release as many a time they are shunned by the society,” CEO of the institute, Prof Nandita Abraham said.

“Fashion has to do with communication as well,” Abraham said.

Tihar Jail is the country’s largest maximum-security prison and it has taken several measures to ensure integration of inmates with the society.

“We would like to take this effort all over India and Mumbai will be the next stop,” she added to a question.

Grioli said Indian students of the institute are showcasing their products in global fashion shows including the Milan Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week as well as the Amazon Fashion Week in sync with the ‘Make In India' campaign of Narendra Modi.

“The Indian craft and textiles have been widely appreciated at the last Amazon Fashion Week. We are also partnering with one of the five institutes in Milan and our students showcased garments in last Milan Fashion show as well.

“The designers should know what is going on in the Indian context and how to contemporise classic techniques. We are addressing our students to international fashion,” he said.

Fashion designing students of the Indian institute were also going for exchange programme with counterparts in Europe. “Besides, we are working on an eco-friendly project with a New Zealand institute as part of the programme,” Grioli said.