JD Institute of Fashion Technology
JD Talks: Decoding Innovation, Law, and the Future of AI in Design

At JD Institute of Fashion Technology, we believe that education must go beyond the classroom. It should be a gateway to real-world wisdom and industry disruption. This vision comes to life through JD Talks, a thoughtfully curated knowledge-sharing platform that brings together visionaries, makers, and disruptors for sharp, human-centered conversations. These sessions explore the “why” behind creativity and the “how” behind innovation, moving Jediiians to think beyond fleeting trends and build with purpose.

Recently, our Hauz Khas Campus hosted an inspiring edition of JD Talks titled that featured a powerhouse panel of changemakers: Abhaia Sharma (Fashion Lawyer and Founder of Regally Legal), Babar Afzal (Ex-McKinsey consultant and Founder of the Pashmina Goat Project), and Ashish Kaprawan (Visual Artist and AI Workflow Engineer at DCverse). Together, they decoded the business of creativity and the mindset required for long-term success.

Redefining Value: Entrepreneurship with Babar Afzal

The conversation kicked off with Babar Afzal, whose journey from a McKinsey consultant to a TIME & WIRED Fellow has been nothing short of extraordinary. Focusing on Entrepreneurship and Brand Building, Babar offered a roadmap for students looking to shape their creative futures.

He challenged the traditional definition of “value,” urging students to look at sustainability not as a buzzword, but as a core business model. By balancing passion with practicality, he explained how capital acts as a fuel for growth and scalability.

His advice for young dreamers was clear: to move from a “creative idea” to a “creative enterprise,” one must understand how to manage investments and build a brand that stands for something meaningful.

Legal Foundations: Why Fashion Law Matters with Abhaia Sharma

The creative world often overlooks the “boring” paperwork, but Abhaia Sharma demonstrated why legal literacy is now a survival skill for designers. As a pioneer in fashion law, she covered the essential pillars of copyrights, trademarks, and digital commerce.  

Abhaia explained that before finalizing a brand identity, designers must navigate potential trademark conflicts and understand the Designs Act. For those starting on a tight budget, she highlighted key legal recourse strategies to protect their intellectual property. Her session provided a solid legal foundation for startups, emphasizing that a brand’s identity is only as strong as its legal protection.

AI as the Ultimate Creative Partner: Ashish Kaprawan

The talk then shifted toward the future with Ashish Kaprawan, who demystified the world of Artificial Intelligence. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, Ashish presented it as a Problem Solver, a system that learns and adapts to perform cognitive tasks, from recognizing images to generating complex data.

While many fear that AI will replace human designers, Ashish argued that it is actually a partner that extends our human capabilities. It enhances accuracy and imagination, allowing designers to work faster and dream bigger.

However, he was quick to point out that AI still lacks empathy, intuition, and emotional storytelling, the very things that make art “human.” For students caught between curiosity and confusion, his journey offered a clear vision of how human-AI collaboration will evolve into a powerful tool for creative storytelling.

The Jediiian Experience: Learning Beyond the Textbook

The atmosphere at the Hauz Khas campus was electric as students moved from being passive listeners to active participants. This JD Talks session offered a unique moderated format where Jediiians could:

• Listen to real-life industry experiences: Hearing the struggles and triumphs of a TEDx speaker, a fashion lawyer, and an AI engineer provided a reality check on the industry.
• Gain clarity on purpose-driven design: Students observed how creativity translates into tangible innovation when it is backed by a strong “why.”
• Reflect on their own journeys: The interactive discussion allowed students to question current trends and focus on meaningful, long-term outcomes.
• Broaden professional perspectives: By engaging with diverse experts, students gained a holistic understanding of the design ecosystem- from the pashmina goats of the Himalayas to the digital servers of the future.

Building a Purpose-Led Creative Future

This edition of JD Talks at the Hauz Khas campus successfully bridged the gap between creative thought and professional execution. By bringing together the legal expertise of Abhaia Sharma, the entrepreneurial spirit of Babar Afzal, and the technological foresight of Ashish Kaprawan, JD Institute of Fashion Technology continues to nurture thinkers and disruptors. These honest, thought-led exchanges inspire our students to look past the surface of the fashion industry and build careers rooted in purpose, innovation, and integrity.

Are you ready to turn your creative spark into a lasting legacy?Join the conversation at JD Institute and discover how we empower the next generation of global design leaders to build with vision and lead with heart.