Call it fusion fashion or fashion with a social conscience, if you will. Aparna and Jaya, who are students of SRM University in Chennai, and Vidhi, a student of the L’asalle College of Arts, Singapore, have given fashion a new twist by bringing together coding, artificial intelligence (AI) and T-shirt designing. The trio has kick-started the ‘Code Create Campaign’ to make computer science education more accessible for the underprivileged children by selling T-shirts.
“The T-shirts we sell have patterns which were created through coding. I have always been fascinated with the idea of how coding can be used creatively, and through the campaign, we also wanted to show what we can accomplish through the knowledge of computer science,” said Aparna.
The funds raised are being donated to the ‘Disha’ programme conceived by HOPE (Hope of People Everywhere, a not-for profit organisation) through which 16-year-old students can learn computer science and programming.
An artist and graphic designer, Vidhi said that she felt it was vital to be educated in computer science. “There’s also so much wastage in the fashion industry at present. Through this campaign, we’re also happy that through every T-shirt which is bought, the lives of children get impacted positively,” she said.
While the patterns on the T-shirts were made through coding, the team worked further on the designs and brought out the T-shirts themed around ‘Humanity’.
“From the recycle symbol to designs depicting mental health and wellness, we’ve incorporated varied elements under the theme. We are planning to release additional designs through the course of the campaign,” said Aparna.
While the three students started off with a target of ₹1 lakh, they have already collected ₹80,000 and want to keep the campaign running till the end of the month through the Code Create Campaign website where the T-shirts are being sold.