Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) returns with its latest edition starting this evening. Spread over the next three days, a fresh crop of designers who are part of the The Emerging Designer Platform at Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) is set to take the stage, bringing bold ideas, innovative craftsmanship, and a distinct Sri Lankan flair to the runway. This year’s lineup of emerging talent showcases a diverse mix of creatives who are redefining fashion through sustainability, contemporary silhouettes, and heritage-inspired designs.

From experimental textiles to cutting-edge couture, these rising stars promise to push boundaries and make their mark on Sri Lanka’s fashion scene. Mentor Sharmila Ruberu shares, “It has been an absolute pleasure, privilege, and an inspiring journey fostering young designers’ ideas and talents.” This season, emerging designers will present their collections alongside industry veterans, ensuring maximum exposure. A major highlight is the Craft Fashion Fund, supporting designers who incorporate traditional Sri Lankan craftsmanship. "This is Sri Lanka’s opportunity to develop its distinct design language while preserving our artistic heritage," says CFW Founder & Director Ajai Vir Singh. The initiative strengthens local fashion identity while merging tradition with innovation.

Beyond creativity, the programme builds industry-ready designers. "Our mentorship programme is a rigorous journey of transformation," says CFW CEO Fazeena Majeed Rajabdeen. "We help them develop not just their creative skills but also their business acumen." With strong mentorship and industry support, CFW continues to be a launchpad for the future of Sri Lankan fashion. Here’s a look at the new designers debuting at CFW and what to expect from their collections.

Shabél Paris by Shri R. Amarasinghe 

A Journey from Code to Couture. La French Tech Talent, Shri R. Amarasinghe is a computer engineer, tech founder, and self-taught fashion designer with a deep passion for sustainability. As the founder & CEO of Shabel Paris, a Sculptural Fashion & Lifestyle label within the Paris-based fashion house La Maison Shabél, Shri transforms surplus fabrics into timeless pieces, proving that innovation and responsibility can go hand in hand.

Driven by the philosophy of designing from what’s available, Shri works primarily with deadstock materials, including handwoven lace crafted from leftover yarn. Through Shabel Paris, she is committed to tackling some of the fashion industry's most pressing challenges while collaborating with Sri Lankan artisans to preserve traditional craftsmanship. As a textile artist, Shri explores natural dyes and techniques, blending heritage with modernity. Beyond fashion and tech, she is also a dedicated yoga teacher, bringing mindfulness and movement into every aspect of her work and creativity.

Thisaru Fernando

Thisaru Fernando’s brand, Echchampulle, reflects a lifelong journey in creative exploration and sustainable design. Inspired by his mother's artistic flair and the practical skills learned from his parents in children’s wear production, Thisaru began experimenting with tie-dyeing, bleaching, and upcycling garments at an early age. These formative experiences led him to self-teach the ancient art of Shibori, a technique that now defines Echchampulle’s distinctive aesthetic.

Dedicated to sustainable practices, Echchampulle crafts low or zero waste garments featuring intricate, abstract prints rooted in traditional techniques. Although Thisaru earned a BSc in Logistics from Dailan Maritime University in China, his passion for transforming fabrics into wearable art has remained a constant driving force.

The precision and care reflected in every stitch are a testament to his commitment to marrying heritage with eco-conscious methods. His debut collection at Colombo Fashion Week 2025 encapsulates this artistic journey, honouring the creative influences of his upbringing while paving the way for a more sustainable future in fashion.

Devapriya Halwala

Devapriya Halwala is a 30-year-old Designer, illustrator by profession and an enthusiast of fashion. As a designer, he loves to secure Sri Lankan culture and heritage and use fabrics as his canvas by detailing using embroidery. Value addition is a part of his brand, “ HALA ”established in 2020 is based on natural fabrics. He is impressed by the texture of raw fabrics and geometric shapes.

Halwala joined CFW as a backstage intern back in 2017 and showcased for the first time in 2022. This is his 4th time showcasing and this collection is about Sri Lanka's ancient connection to astronomy, and silhouettes inspired by the curves and star maps detailed with traditional embroidery techniques such as delicate cross motifs representing stars.

Chihiro Fernando

Chihiro Fernando, 22, is a visiting lecturer and the founder/creative director of CHIHIRO LK, a luxury brand focused on heritage craft batik. A 2021 honours graduate from the Academy of Design, Northumbria University, Chihiro launched CHIHIRO LK in November 2022. The brand's goal is to build sustainability while enhancing the value of traditional batik in fusion with modern art styles. Every luxury collection is meticulously hand-drawn, hand-waxed, and hand-dyed by Chihiro, making each piece a unique work of art.

Mevini Amarasinghe

Mevini Amarasinghe is a visionary fashion designer weaving together Sri Lankan heritage and contemporary style through the vibrant art of batik. Born and raised in Colombo, she specialises in using Sri Lankan batik as her signature technique, infusing each piece with intricate patterns and vivid colours that tell stories of generations past. Her designs celebrate the timeless elegance of batik craftsmanship, with meticulous attention to detail.

She seamlessly blends traditional motifs with modern silhouettes, creating pieces that are both culturally significant and globally appealing. Her deep connection to her roots drives her mission to preserve and promote Sri Lankan heritage through fashion. Each garment tells a story, weaving together threads of history, craftsmanship, and innovation. As an emerging designer in fashion, she is committed to ethical production practices and supporting local.

By championing the art of batik, she not only honours her cultural heritage but also empowers communities and preserves a centuries-old craft for future generations. With her bold vision and unwavering dedication, Mevini Amarasinghe is not just a fashion designer – she is a custodian of culture, weaving threads of tradition into the fabric of modernity, one stunning design at a time.

Arsath Furkhan Fashion Designer | Fund Accountant | Creative Visionary

Arsath Furkhan is a self-taught fashion designer and the creative force behind Ara, a label retailed at a leading fashion house in Colombo. Known for his sleek, dramatic, and elegant designs, Arsath has made a name for himself in the Sri Lankan fashion industry, showcasing his work at Colombo Fashion Week as an emerging designer.

Beyond fashion, Arsath has an extensive background in Finance with over a decade of experience as a Fund Accountant at HSBC. He holds an MBA, and a degree in Sustainable Performance Management, and is CIMA-qualified. While his academic foundation is in business management and accountancy, his passion for creativity has been a driving force since childhood. Devapriya Halwala Devapriya Halwala,  is a 30 year old Designer, illustrator by profession and an enthusiast of fashion. As a designer, he loves to secure Sri Lankan culture and heritage and use fabrics as his canvas by detailing using embroidery.

Value addition is a part of his brand, “ HALA ”established in 2020 is based on natural fabrics. He is impressed by the texture of raw fabrics and geometric shapes. Halwala joined CFW as a backstage intern back in 2017 and showcased for the first time in 2022.

This is his 4th time showcasing and this collection is about Sri Lanka's ancient connection to astronomy, and silhouettes inspired by the curves and star maps detailed with traditional embroidery techniques such as delicate cross motifs representing stars. Blending artistic vision with structured precision, Arsath brings a unique perspective to both finance and fashion. His journey reflects a seamless integration of technical expertise and artistic expression, making him a dynamic professional with a distinctive creative edge.