"I'm Kuvini Gamage! Most say that fashion is their passion, which is in fact true as the passion for something is what truly keeps you going and so to say it is mine too! The idea of fashion design was brought forth after watching my mother doing her small scale design and sewing business. So, soon after I completed my education at Lyceum International School, I joined Selak School of Design to pursue in the extravagant industry of fashion. I started off by Pattern Making under the solid guidance of Ms. Damayanthi Wedage and Ms. Thirani Peiris. Pattern Making is the substructure of any design and as a designer it is of paramount importance to be aware in what ways a fabric is cut and how the garment is engineered.

Soon afterwards I was given the opportunity to participate in many renowned fashion shows and this gave me the necessary exposure and the push to continue. Since then, I have been able to put together my own attire, varying from casual, sports, office, evening and even fantasy wear to explore the many ways of ingenuity."

1. How did you arrive at the idea of a convertible dress?

This idea sprang up whilst I was searching on some easy-to-make designs for a function I had to attend at such short notice. This concept was non like I've seen and I thought it would be ideal to experiment on myself.

2. Tell us about this new concept - "The Convertible Dress".

This concept of conversion has been around for a while but unfortunately I have not seen this particular design made available here. This dress has been  designed to be worn in an infinite number of ways. You can create different styles depending on ones creativity. It can be constructed in different lengths (long or medium), different styles (flared or pencil skirt) and be worn like a tube dress, off-shoulder, classic one-shoulder and even strapless. Not surprisingly though, it can even be worn as a skirt!

3. How did you know which was the right fabric/ material for the dress and how long did it take to construct the piece?

The fabric brings the design to life and it should also compliment the figure of the wearer. And for this design I thought 4-way material would be best as it stretches the right amount without leaving unnecessary marks on the fabric, which is in fact ideal as we require to wear this dress in different ways. Best of all it takes only minutes to piece together, excluding the time you take to cutting the fabric which of course requires your basic cutting skill set.

4. What does fashion mean to you?

It is nothing but creativity with a big C! But, also I would say it's about research and implementation. It's not just about being able to design clothes but your ability to think out of the box and taking in inspiration from day to day things you see. Smallest of things can be the biggest of inspiration!

5. Do you have plans to introduce the "Convertible Dress" to the stores?

This industry is always open for budding ideas and I am hoping to make this dress available through me.

6. How would you define the style that this particular dress exemplifies?

There is no one way to define this style as it can be worn in many ways. The dress can be casual or elegant. Most say this is "The Ultimate Style Chameleon!"

7. Where can our readers find out more about you and your work?

You can contact me through Facebook on https://www.facebook.com/Kuvini.Gee or email me on [email protected]

By Hasna Saleem
Photo Credits: Ushan Gunesekara