The Sri Lankan fashion industry has a global appeal today. But, back in the day, it was an entirely new concept for people. Yet, like every revolution, fashion too did its magic, evolving through the ages to what it is today. Living through this evolution was Sharmini Seneviratne, who has had the privilege of traversing the world and initiating her own brand ‘Silk Wrap’. In a casual conversation with Life Online, Sharmini shared her experience throughout the years, her views on the local fashion industry and where it should improve. 

How were you introduced to fashion designing? 

I initially worked as an air stewardess at Sri Lankan airlines and I travelled to many countries where fashion took centre stage. That was my stepping stone to this industry and my parents gave me a hand to be a student of the prestigious St. Martin’s College of Art where I studied fashion designing in depth. Back in the day I used to dress in my mother’s sarees and I feel that too had some kind of an influence to pursue my career in this field. 

What inspired you to initiate ‘Silk Wrap’? 

I started off with raw silks which had a huge demand for evening as well as glamour wear. Back in the 90’s there was no place to buy silks in Sri Lanka and I used to get all my materials from Thailand. It was something very new to the local fashion arena. Therefore I decided to move ahead with it. 

You have served in this industry for quite a long time. What are some of the major transformations it has gone through from then to now? 

The fashion arena today is very advanced. I have been in this industry for 20 years and I know how it was like then. There were only two TV channels and no fashion magazines to start with. Therefore we hardly had any way of getting exposed to what was happening overseas. So there was no way for us to get an idea of how things should fit in. But in my case I was lucky because every time my parents went abroad they used to update me with the latest trends in fashion which greatly helped me to work out my designs. 

Tell us about some of the pageants you have been a part of. 

I have been a part of many pageants both locally and internationally. I have been a judge for Ms. Sri Lanka and Ms. Working Girl pageants in Sri Lanka. One of my most successful pageants was in Tokyo where I took 5 local models to showcase my designs there. Then I have participated in pageants held in Dubai, Oman and various other countries in Europe. I am proud to say that all of these pageants had full-house audiences from around the world and there was a huge demand for my designs. 

Are you satisfied about the local fashion industry today? 

There are certain things that still needs to be done. For example, there are some pageants which don’t feature any veteran local designers. Neither do they feature any local models. But I don’t think that pageants held internationally would invite our models to appear in them. This is one loophole that I see. Other than that I’m highly impressed about the works of upcoming local designers. Back in the day they had pageants mainly for buyers and not for entertainment. But today, we see many pageants being organised simply for entertainment and this has downgraded the industry to some extent. There should be a platform for young designers to showcase their designs for potential buyers. 

Many upcoming designers are graduating from established institutes in the country and those abroad. How should they contribute to make a difference in this industry? 

I think they should move in to merchandising, creating a label on their own, establishing a factory and doing something in a large scale. We started with no technology but 20 years down the line I feel that we are still lagging behind many other countries. 

Do you have any pageants planned for this year? 

I am planning to do a pageant towards the end of this year. At the moment things are still at a planning stage. 

What message do you have to give to the amateurs in the industry? 

Try not to copy others and be more creative. Luckily we don’t have seasons and therefore we don’t have to think twice about choosing colours that match with seasons. I have seen many aspiring designers who are trying to make their mark in the industry today and they should always think of how they could advance it to make a promising career. We still have a long way to go but in terms of knowledge we do have quite a lot of exposure to global trends and specially about what people should wear for different occasions.