Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Fashion & Design are its key deliverables to young India.

I’ve heard many of Salim’s clients and friends say that Salim is an artiste who collided with the business of fashion to give it form in India. Absolutely self made and understated with his expression, Salim has discovered over the years that art and design is an enabler, particularly for India’s youth. He believes that art and design are empowering and liberating.

Innovative Ideas Inked (III), his latest venture that is in a partnership with his friends Mita Gangoly and Kishore Velankar, is ready to roll out with a powerful 10-day program, a series of powerful group workshops and one-on-one discussions, which will travel across both, urban as well as rural India. Appropriately named Design Express, the program, which is gaining popularity among individuals, corporations and academic institutions; aims to unleash India’s creative potential and it will revolutionize the idea of creativity and business among the countries young and aspiring people by helping build in them the spirit of entrepreneurship. Design Express starts with its first 10 day program in Mumbai soon, and will travel from place to place across India throughout the year.

To enroll for the workshops, applicants can enroll through III’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DesignExpressByiii/

Or Call at: +9196190 13083

Follow III on Twitter: @iii_mumbai

Here below, in a freewheeling conversation with me, Salim talks to me and tells me all about his latest venture.

1. What is III?   

III or Innovative Ideas Inked LLP is platform that integrates budding talent with the expertise of the leaders of the design world through innovative concepts that stimulate thought, learning, growth and eventual empowerment... financially, culturally and socially.

2. Why did you feel that there was a need for III?

Innovative Ideas Inked came to life with the idea to fulfill the fast growing gap and need of the skill based industry in India and the need to spark a revolution amongst the gen next to “THINK, UNDERSTAND and CREATE” rather than Just DO IT.

Innovative Ideas Inked aims to create a platform for the coming generations to start thinking beyond the obvious, as they are expected to in schools and colleges; to encourage youngsters to explore hidden talents and then cultivating it along with right skills to enhance it. We envisage a world where design and aesthetics are an integral part of anything that’s created by human beings, rather than just being functional products; and to produce entrepreneurs for our future, professionals who are very aware and conscious of society, environment, sustainability and the cultural sensitivities of the evolutionary local and global markets in which they practice their trade.  

Innovative Ideas Inked is a game changer in the field of vocational education and it will help revitalize and contribute to the success story called INDIA.

3. Tell us about your partnership with Mita Gangoly and the vision that the two of you share together?

After having mentored students from various Fashion Schools and Institutes, apart from training many an intern under my own label over the years I happened to meet Mita Gangoly, an educationist, who at that time was heading the fashion design department of ITM, Mumbai.

At a soul level we both had the desire to nurture budding talent.

We both connected on the above, and understood that if fashion and design in this country have to shine then we must develop it at a grass root level and give it the confidence of its own existence and being. Thoughts become things they say, and so Innovative Ideas Inked LLP was born and we are now the founding directors and partners!

4. You also have plans for working with young girls and boys in rural India and enabling and empowering them by using fashion design and merchandising as a tool; tell us all about it?

Developing local talent at a grass root level is the only way to give fashion & design its very own global identity. India is the land of the farmers, the sons of the soil. It’s in rural areas that our culture really lies embedded. And we must uncover it and give it a contemporary dimension if Indian fashion is to make its mark internationally or else we will always be aping western trends. To empower the rural youth through an education in design and bringing forth their design ideas can create sparks that could revolutionize what we see otherwise as fashion in the country today.

5. Do let us know about your plans for now, and for the near future.

On the cards at the moment is Design Express. Design Express is a 10-day workshop from the 16th of Aug to 27th Aug 2017 that III is putting together.  The first of its kind in the country, it seeks to be a guiding light for those pursuing or interested in a career in the fashion industry by interfacing its participants with the leaders of the fashion world from fashion designers to fashion stylists, merchandisers, buyers, fashion journalists, fashion bloggers, business planners, branding experts, retail specialists, boutique owners, choreographers and many more.  Apart from I myself being the Chief Mentor, our List of esteemed Speakers includes: Meher Castelino , Fashion Journalist, Ranjit Rodricks, Fashion PR & Blogger, Nisha Harale, Choreographer & Grooming Expert, Swapnil Shinde, Fashion Designer, Joy Mitra, Fashion Designer, Harleen Sabharwal, Forecaster of Trends, Bhairavi Jaikishan, Fashion Designer, Dr.Eshita Mandal, Psychologist, Recipient of Bharat Gaurav Ratna, Priyanka Mishra, Fashion Stylist, AD Singh, Fashion Designer, Vinta Nanda, Filmaker & Creative Activist, Rohit Verma, Fashion Designer, Bhushan Gaur, Business Planner & Film Maker, Manoj Motiani, Branding Expert, Founder & Chief Creative Head, Thought Bubbles Advt., Anirban Haldar , Fashion Designer & Founder Three Sixtyone Degrees, Mumbai ……...And many more.       

All the above experts shall throw light on their areas of specialization and guide the participants about the pros and cons of the business and the aptitude and qualities required to succeed in the trade besides. They will share their experiences in the field with the participants, followed by a Q&A. The idea is to offer a 360-degree experience to each participant who enrolls for the 10-day express workshop so that the person steps out armed with the tools and the network, the courage, the confidence to take the plunge and make it.

 A complete aptitude assessment of the participants along with a special module on CV making and portfolio correction and presentation will help those that are seeking jobs within the business to realize their true potential and empower them to make an appropriate career choice. Also, we will be hand holding all our aspiring participants towards a fashion career by supporting them with placements and career guidance.

In the near future we plan to hold many more workshops that will eventually create stronger alliances within the business while helping gen next and the fashion industry to be truly creative in a manner that is sustainable, holistic and sensitive to the environment and its beings.

6. What is the latest with your designing fashion, interiors and home furnishings?

The latest from my new label Essay By Salim Asgarally is a range of men’s shirts, which will be available in stores from Sept 2017. The line is called CAPRI 2017. It seeks inspiration from the tiny island in the Mediterranean by the same name and its narrative is in whites, creams and blues all in fine cottons and linens, net lace and Chanderi silks.

Another on the "latest list" is customized corporate uniforms’ under the Essay label, and my team is currently in the throes of designing the look of a 7Star Hotel along with the uniforms of a telecom giant; both being very different and challenging because uniforms not only define the identity of an employee but carry the ethos of an entire organization.

The urge to design, to me is second nature, so it was but natural that I took up the task of doing up the new office of III and Rising Phoenix (a sister concern that specializes in search & placement). I have kept the look young, cheerful and modern (the average age of our team being 25!! Lol! ) Floral Hand painted concrete floors and candy colored chairs in lime; fuchsia, cream and orange gives the space a youthful and contemporary edge, enough to keep my team in happy spirits all day long!!