How New York City Is Shaping NYSID MFA Student Anjali Khemani

“When I decided to go through the visa process and fully immerse myself in the dynamic culture of interior design in New York, I couldn’t have understood the extent to which New York would fuel my artistic growth,” says Anjali Khemani, a second-year student in NYSID’s Post-Professional Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design (MFA2) and a native of New Delhi, India. “New York City and NYSID have offered unparalleled access to firms, industry events, and hands-on experiences.”

Khemani was born in India, received her BA in Spatial Design from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in Singapore, and worked on design for luxury hotels in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before coming to New York to pursue her MFA at NYSID. Like many of the international students who choose to study at NYSID, she’s a true citizen of the world. She heard about NYSID from several of her former colleagues. “Everyone was talking about how good the school and curriculum were, and that's how I determined NYSID was the place for me,” says Khemani.

NYSID’s two Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design programs, the MFA1 (professional level, with no design prerequisite) and MFA2 (post-professional level, for those who have a degree in design or a related field), are the two academic programs at the college that must be experienced in person, because they are intended to be immersive. NYSID also offers a broad range of flexible, online distance learning undergraduate and graduate programs, outlined here.    

On NYSID Academics

The classes at NYSID have exceeded Khemani’s expectations. “NYSID has challenged me into thinking both creatively and technically, really ensuring my work is not just conceptual but also practical,” Khemani says of her NYSID education. “The curriculum emphasizes real-world application, integrating building codes, construction documentation, and ADA compliance. At the same time, you learn storytelling through design. The faculty practice in top firms or have their own firms, and that’s really helped me with industry insights and connections.”

One of her favorite courses has been Retail Design Studio with instructor Brendan Cotter, founding partner and design director of Cotter DeFehr Architects, a New York design firm that has executed global retail projects for Tom Ford Beauty, MAC Cosmetics, NARS Cosmetics, Crème de la Mer, Estée Lauder, and Aramis. Says Khemani, “This course was challenging, but it gave me the space to really explore storytelling in retail environments. I learned how to develop concept-driven spaces that reflect and elevate a brand’s identity, not just visually but experientially.” Her project for Retail Design Studio was titled “Guo Pei Flagship Store.”

Rendering of Guo Pei Flagship Store project by Anjali Khemani (MFA2)

Beyond the Classroom

NYSID offers its students myriad ways to learn and network outside the traditional classroom setting, including symposia, lecture series with renowned designers, and volunteer opportunities at showhouses and design benefits (such as Nantucket by Design and the annual DIFFA gala). Khemani has gotten a lot out of the lectures. She says, “I especially remember a talk by David Rockwell (founder of the international hospitality design firm Rockwell Group) whose work has always been a huge source of inspiration for me. His approach to layering narrative into a space left a lasting impression on me and pushed me to think about design as a form of storytelling.”

The picturesque NYC neighborhoods that surround NYSID's uptown and downtown campuses are dense with museums, shops, showrooms, hotels, restaurants, and style. “Visiting iconic hotels and stepping into moody, beautifully designed bars across the city, gave me endless ideas about how materiality, architectural details, and lighting transform a space,” says Khemani. “These experiences absolutely informed how I approached my projects, including my thesis. I wanted to create spaces that felt immersive and theatrical, like walking into a story, and that’s something I’ve taken directly from my encounters with the city itself.”  The influence of New York City is particularly apparent in Khemani’s “Hotel Henry,” a tribute to the history of the Hudson River she created for Hospitality Design Studio.

Rendering of Hotel Henry project by Anjali Khemani (MFA2)

Real World Training & Support for International Students

In her final year at NYSID, Khemani is working on her thesis and doing a paid internship at hospitality and high-end residential design and architecture firm Meyer Davis. (The work is pre-approved Curricular Practical Training, referred to as CPT, employment within the rules of studying in the US on an F visa). She says, “The visa process has not been so overwhelming because Karen Kalriess, NYSID’s Office of International Student Services Specialist, has been there to guide me. She helps me with my travel documents, and helped me obtain ‘CPT approval’ to work. We had presentations about steps we have to follow so it will go smoothly. Karen navigates you through the process.”

More on NYSID’s Programs

You can learn more about NYSID’s academic programs HERE. 
For questions about studying at NYSID, reach out to Admissions Office HERE.