JD Institute of Fashion Technology
Jediiians Participate in Hastantar 2026 – An Event by the Asian Heritage Foundation’s JIYO

Some events are attended. Others are experienced from within.

Hastantar 2026 offered JD Institute students exactly that opportunity, not as spectators, but as active contributors to an event where heritage, design, and contemporary creativity came together in motion.

Held at The Kunj, Hastantar is a cultural initiative under JIYO, an initiative of the Asian Heritage Foundation, envisioned by Rajeev Sethi. The platform is known for bringing artisans, designers, and cultural practitioners together to celebrate India’s living traditions through immersive experiences.

For Jediiians from the Hauz Khas Village and Kamla Nagar campuses, this became a chance to work at the centre of a real cultural event ecosystem.

Working Behind the Scenes of a Live Event

Students were actively involved across multiple functional areas, allowing them to understand how professional events operate beyond the public-facing experience.

They contributed to:

• Workshop management, helping coordinate interactive sessions with artisans and participants
• Fashion show management, supporting backstage flow and show readiness
• Backend operations, ensuring smooth internal coordination
• Communication support, assisting across teams and functions
• Logistics handling, managing movement and execution requirements

Through these responsibilities, students experienced the pace, discipline, and adaptability required in live event environments.

Creative Roles Beyond Coordination

For several students, the experience extended into more specialised creative roles.

They also participated as:

• Stylists, assisting with presentation aesthetics
• Makeup artists, contributing to final runway looks
• Models, gaining exposure to professional ramp presence and show participation

This helped students see how different creative disciplines work together to produce a seamless final outcome.

Learning Through Heritage in Motion

What made Hastantar unique was that it was not simply an event, it was a space where traditional crafts and cultural expression were made relevant for the present.

Students were exposed to:

• Artisan-led workshops and traditional practices
• Contemporary interpretations of heritage crafts
• The importance of sustaining indigenous art forms through new platforms

This offered a wider perspective on how cultural knowledge can continue evolving through design.

What Students Took Back

By the end of the two-day event, students gained far more than participation certificates or event exposure.

They developed:

• Stronger communication and organisational skills
• Better understanding of fashion show and event workflows
• Real-time experience in team coordination under pressure
• Greater appreciation for the relationship between heritage and contemporary design

This experience reinforced that, creative success often depends as much on coordination and context as it does on talent.

The JD Institute Approach

At JD Institute, students are encouraged to engage with the creative world not only through classrooms, but through live ecosystems where design interacts with people, culture, and execution. Experiences like Hastantar help them understand that creativity becomes meaningful when it can operate in the real world.

Save This Thought

When you step behind the scenes, you begin to understand what truly brings creativity to life.