Mr. Jaspal Kalra is an assistant
professor with the Fashion Design Department of Pearl Academy, India. A
qualified fashion designer from NIIFT, Mohali with a Postgraduate Certificate
in Higher Education from Nottingham Trent University, he has closely worked in
craft sector under his own brand and with various non-government organizations.
Besides designing for retail and export houses, he has developed range for
international trade fairs and certain celebrities. He presently teaches
technical modules, at the Academy, for realization of designs into garments. He
likes to paint in mix media and is also working on a self-initiated research
titled "Essence of an Heritage of Endurance: Chikankari from the Land of
Puranas". Recently, he presented a research paper titled: Restoring the Essence of Heritage –
Chikankari in the International Textile and Apparel
Sustainability Conference 2012, University of Mauritius and The
Chikankari Saga- A Craft Essence and Sustenance Revisited
in An International Conference on Enhancing Health, Well-being
and Sustainability – Opportunities, Challenges and Future Directions organized
by Nirmala Niketan, University of Mumbai 2013. His upcoming presentations is Ethical
and Organic Innovation in the Handicraft Industry: Perpetuating the Essence of
Heritage in Chikankari
in International Conference on
Design Principles and Practices
2013, Japan.