Sonali Kanigicherla
Textile and Apparel design professional
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As a textile and apparel designer, I am deeply inspired by crafts, culture, and heritage particularly the knowledge and everyday practices of rural and indigenous communities. I enjoy exploring and experimenting with a wide range of materials, colors, textures, and patterns, drawing connections between traditional techniques and contemporary design. My curiosity has naturally extended into technology, where I seek innovative ways to merge tactile and digital experiences. With a keen eye for detail and a strong passion for research, I am a self-motivated learner who thrives on discovery, storytelling, and thoughtful design.
Skills:
Technical skills:
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Weaving
Surface Techniques​
Hand Embroidery, Aari, Applique, Patchwork, Dyeing & Printing (Blockprint)
Yarncraft
Crochet, Knitting, Macramé & Braiding
Papercraft
Papermaking, Origami, Papier- Mache
Material Handling
(Leather, Terracotta, Wood)
Photography
Pattern Making
Draping
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Software Skills:
Adobe Illustrator, Indesign, Photoshop, Lightroom, Procreate, Pro Weave, Rhino, Figma, Clo 3D, Microsoft Office
Soft Skills:
Research, Communication, Market trend Study, Team player, Leadership, Brainstorming, Strategic Decision making, Critical thinking.
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Expertise:
Crafts, Design thinking, Design Research
Education:
National Institute of Design, Gandhinagar
Master of Design in Apparel Design
2023-2025
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Indian Institute of Crafts and Design, Jaipur
Bachelor of Vocation in Soft Material Design
2018-2022​
Hobbies & Interests:
Sketching, Badminton, Basketball, Travelling, Cooking
Languages:
English, Telugu, Hindi, Bengali
Reference :
Sumita Choudhary - Course coordinator IICD
+ 91 9982005511
Juhi Pandey - Center Head - CoEK Shillong
+91 9820039110
Professional Experience:
1. Assistant Designer at Center of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK) - Shillong
October 2022 - June 2023
Job profile - Design Intervention and capacity building with Khadi institutions in Northeast.
Internships
Design Intern at Celebrity fashion - Chennai
May 2024 - June 2024 (1 month)
Assisted the senior designer in mill week to select fabrics for SS 26, Worked on trend research and styles for SS26. Understood the working of an Export house.
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Design Intern at Center of Excellence for
Khadi (CoEK) - Shillong
April 2022 - August 2022 (5 months)
Designed a range of Table linens using Eri silk, Cushions with khadi institutions in Assam.
Design Intern at Rangsutra Crafts India ltd.
Nov 2021 - December 2021 (40 days)
Designed 2022 Christmas collection, Designed a range of potli bags, Gave training to women in machine stitching.
Design Intern at Ambalika (NGO)
Jun 2021 – September 2021 (4 months)
Design Research for their products, Social Media Marketing
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Design Intern at Creative Dignity
July – September 2020 (3 months)
Job profile- Upliftment of crafts and artisans.
-Helped the artisans by creating catalogs of their products.
-Created linkages for artisans with craft-based platforms like okhai and Gaatha.
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Design Intern at Tarinika
December 2019
Digitalizing hand-drawn jewelry designs on Rhino for 3d rendering.
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Volunteered at Setu Linguistic bridge
May – June 2020 (2 months)
Created posters for the awareness of covid 19
-Translated and proofread posters in Telugu and Hindi
-Initiative was tied up with my gov initiative and WHO.
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Volunteered at Apne NGO
29th October 2019
Taught papercrafts to HIV-positive children with less use of sharp objects.
Achievments:
Published my research paper (Maitri - Redefining circular fashion with upcycled sarees) on Researchgate. | Top 100 research papers on PLATE conference 2025.
Selected as Top 30 designers in Pepe Jeans Student design award