Print perfect

KOCHI: After completing a research fellowship from IIT Bombay in biotechnology and working in the industry for more than two years, engineering graduate Swathi Nair quit her fledging job in 2014. Her career took a sharp detour when she realised her passion lay not in biotechnology but rather in art. Wanting to know if she could make a mark in the field, Swathi took up painting custom designs on shoes. But soon she recognised that the art world had moved much ahead with digital platforms, she taught herself every necessary software. As commissions poured in, Swathi designed logos for brands or menus for restaurants. But there was yet another imminent shift that was set to change Swathi’s course again.

“One client for whom I had created illustrations approached me to design print for fabric. I had no clue about textile prints back then but I said yes. I then taught myself to create a repeat print, observe how my design would translate on fabric and the format I should work with,” says Swathi. Elated to see her design on an outfit, she knew this was the path ahead.

Seven years into walking away from what would have been a steady career, Swathi is now an established textile print designer and illustrator having worked with over 30 brands on multiple projects and helming her design venture.

With her efforts solely concentrated in the field of textile print, the self-taught designer talks about how the tools used in the niche field are not much different from the ones taught to students of applied art. “I also use the same skill set or software but the design approach and implementation are different. Textile print designing comes under the larger umbrella of surface pattern designing. With surface patterns, your visualising skills should be more in terms of how a print will enhance the particular surface,” says the Mumbai-based designer.

Having worked with a range of brands that cater to all genders and age groups, Swathi refers to herself as a versatile designer. With her signature brand, ‘Swathi Nair Design’, the 30-year-old has introduced her line of products, the first of them being face masks. Her design studio has partnered with an NGO that empowers underprivileged women by giving them vocational training. “It was a pilot project but the masks sold well. We are working on a second batch as well as on a small collection of summer dresses and tote bags.”Find her on Instagram @swathinair.design.