Bibi Russell

Bibi Russell, the astounding model who rose to stardom in the late 70s and early 80s, now works to establish a cause that is much closer to her heart: the plight of the hand woven textile industries and their workers in her native Bangladesh. Her work has been internationally recognised having received among others, the ‘Honorary Fellowship’ of the London Institute in 1999, title of ‘Designer for Development’ by the UNESCO in 1999, the title ‘Artist for Peace’ by the UNESCO in 2001 and the Peace Prize 2004 by the United Nations Associations of Spain. “The show was nice. I always love coming back to Sri Lanka to show my collection. It’s always a pleasure coming back!” said Bibi. 

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Jai by Jaishree Jayasingha

Launched in 2012 by Jaishree, ‘Jai’ is synonymous with quality. With attention to detail, each and every piece of the collection in its authenticity is crafted highlighting a fusion blend between the East and the West.

"I feel excited to showcase my collection tonight at CFW. Even from the initial stages of design throughout　the whole process of developing this collection, the experience has been quite surreal and exciting. It is a genuinely good feeling to share with likeminded people. I hope that this experience　was equally gratifying to those present as it was to me. The theme of my collection is an abstract of self-reflection. Abstract when it comes to the design, print and colour palette and also abstract in my inspiration to curate a collection as such."

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AMANDA by Amanda Weerasinghe

AMANDA is an independent brand created by Amanda Weerasinghe. Combining innovative designs with the right silhouettes, AMANDA strives to create classic, art inspired, free spirited, timeless clothing reflecting their motto and slogan "Forever Young".

"I’m very excited. I showcased back in 2013. I took a big risk and this is my comeback. My collection theme is on ‘Balls of Royalty’. The inspiration is from the interior design of the Buckingham Palace; the ceiling, the floors, the furniture and drapes. I took inspiration from the paintings and my collection is all tie dye casual wear. So I’m very excited!"

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INDI by Indi Yapa Abeywardena

INDI is a Sri Lankan fashion brand for elegant and discerning ladies. INDI’s designs blend with current trends and fit the client’s individuality and refined taste.

"It feels awesome to be showing at CFW. My collection is based on the Hollywood 1940’s film glam, with a black and white colour theme with a twist in the end. It’s very monochromatic and ranges from casual day wear to occasion wear to evening wear."

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THE OLD RAILWAY by Catherine Rawson

The Old Railway is an independent label owned by British born designer Catherine Rawson, who makes small numbers of limited edition clothing for women using, where possible, fabric that would be redirected to landfill. “Well this year’s show is the most varied I think. Plus there’s a wide range of models for tonight so I’m hoping that the show will have a stronger impact.  My collection is a lot more softer and more feminine and I think people would think I’ve gone outside of my normal east meets west type of clothes. I’m very excited and I’m hoping to see what people will say to that,” expressed Catherine.

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Amilani Perera

Amilani Perera is a fashion brand providing exclusive ready- to –wear clothing for contemporary ladies of all age groups. Consecutively showcasing at Colombo Fashion Week since 2013, Amilani Perera reveals that her collection this season is focused on carefree, creative ready- to- wear pieces. “I’m very happy and excited. The feedback was great. My collection takes inspiration from a trip to USA. The marbling technique was inspired by the Grand Canyon.  As a whole, the collection is what I experienced during my trip and how the American Dream has changed; it’s not about making money but keeping fit so it’s very sport inspired as well” said Amilani.

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CHARINI by Charini Suriyage

Charini Suriyage works as the Head of Design for MAS intimates and holds a Master’s degree from London College of Fashion.

"My collection celebrates the contours of the female form, accentuating and caressing its curves."

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G by Gihan Ediriweera

G by Gihan Ediriweera creates handmade tie-dye product with natural fibre fabric. His ready to wear collections are known for their vibrant colours and comfort. The collection this season portrayed deep shades of blue and white on lightweight fabric. “CFW has always been a great platform for me and I always look forward to it. I’m into tie-dye and my collection draws inspiration for the titanic movie so it’s basically about how I interpret the movie with tie-dye,” enthused Gihan.

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Sonali Dharmawardena

A regular at CFW, Sonali Dharmawardena has journeyed to different parts of the world, taking with her the heritage art of batik with her own rendition of it, which she applies to her garments. “I actually enjoyed doing what I did so I’m glad. The inspiration behind the collection is water,” explained Sonali.

Heading a luxury lingerie brand and creating retail fashion for international labels gave her the right combination to run her own retail label.

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Samant Chauhan

Samant Chauhan is a Delhi based designer who mostly works on hand woven Indian textile. His first award winning show was at the Singapore Fashion Week 05 in 2007 and he reached his milestone participating in the London Fashion Week and in 2008, he experienced the highest point in his career presenting his SS’09 collectionas a solo show at Carousel Du Louvre, Paris. “It was superb. I’m really happy. This was inspired by the Rajesthan without colour so that was the concept" he stated.