Showcasing Sri Lanka’s young fashion design talent 

Day One of HSBC Colombo Fashion Week kicked off with the Emerging Designers’ fashion show at the Hilton Colombo last evening. 8 young designers with potential identified by the President and Founder of HSBC CFW Ajai Vir Singh spend months being mentored by him and last night they finally presented their collections to an audience of family, friends and Colombo’s fashionistas. Bright, talented and clearly with a passion for fashion, these 8 millennial designers showcased collections which were fresh, interesting and innovative. This augurs well for fashion in Sri Lanka. 

 

Anushika Perera 

 

Showcasing at Emerging Designers for the second time, Anushika the owner of her label Mojo, sent a collection of linen ensembles down the runway. Inspired by oblique shadows, abstract thoughts and projections of body forms, this collection was primarily a resort and summer collection. Flared pants with inserts and trims in contrasting colours along with zip details added interest to Anushika’s collection which would appeal to young fashionistas. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinushi Pamunuwa 

 

Working primarily with batik Dinushi launched her new label at Emerging Designers last evening. Her collection Uniquely Uniform inspired by geometric patters and designs featured long flowely garments. Checks, chevrons, lines in a muted colour palette were teamed with bomber jackets. The heaviness of the bomber jacked was negated by the use of a delicate batik print which gave a lovely feminine edge to it. One to to look out for, Dinushi’s collection was stylish and commercial. 

 

 

 

 

 

Marlon Rae 

 

Presenting a summer collection called The Art of Survival, this collection represented the fusion of masculinity with a certain softness. This designer has a great eye for detail which was evident in the presence of frayed collars and cuffs which added an edginess to his pieces. The use of buckles was the focal point in his collection. His silhouettes were strong and the colour palette of mustard, orange, olive green and bright blue denim added a certain boldness to his collection. Pintucks on a puffed sleeve also added interest to his garments. A perfect collection for tropical climes, this capsule collection was on point. 

 

 

Mihiri De Silva 

 

Focusing on resortwear, Mihiri’s collection inspired by Japanese Cherry Blossoms featured artisanal crafts such as batik, embroidery and hand painting. Using a range of cottons and natural fabric, Mihiri’s collection titled gave an insight to her fashion identity which is simple silhouettes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poorni Wijesinghe 

 

Khaki and white dominated this collection of a capsule wardrobe which was created entirely in linen and fabric created from bamboo and the banana tree. Full marks for innovation, Poorni’s collection featured asymetrical hemlines on long flowy sihouettes with a few jumpsuits added to the fashion equation. A designer with ethical manufacturing aspirations, Poorni’s collection stood out due to the use of her unusual choice of fabrics. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Savindri Kuruppu 

 

Tulle, cotton and net fabrics formed the mainstay of this collection which was embroidered with images of faces and Sinhala typography. Savindri’s design inspiration was drawn from posters, nameboards and graffiti strewn walls in Sri Lanka. Black and white were her choice of colours with a few pops of pink breaking up the largely monochrome collection. Dresses, shorts, little jackets and pants were made interesting with the embroidered faces which resembled the painting Scream by Norwegian expressionist artist Edvard Munch. The silhouettes were complemented by her carefully considered detailed embellishments. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vathsala Gunasekara 

 

Frills, flounces and interesting drapes were used to create her collection which celebrates the space between body and clothing. Launching her ethical brand Chava, Vathsala used a colour palette of brown, grey and the most subtle hue of lilac. Her collection consisted of day to evening wear. A designer with a focus on ethical fashion, Vathsala’s brand encourages fashion for good. Her collection was enlivened with the use of delicate prints on some of her creations. 

 

 

 

 

Yathra Jayawardene 

 

Inspired by the glam girls of yesteryear Hollywood, Yathra presented an absolutely stunning collection of batik prints. Silks, cottons, delicate chiffons and viscose were her choice of fabrics on which her batik prints were beautifully executed. Soft pastel colours with flowy silhouettes united perfectly to represent a collection of classically femine clothing which embodies Yathra’s design ethos. The square collars added drama to an otherwise simple silhouette, and it was these tiny design details that demonstrated Yathra’s eye for detailing. While her silhouettes were interesting, her forte undoubtedly lies in textile design as amply demonstrated by her use of colour and design using the artisanal craft of batik. Closing show on Day One of HSBC CFW, her collection of twenty outfits were fashion forward and totally on trend. This is one to watch. 

 

 

 

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TEXT by Tina Edward Gunawardhana and Panchali Illankoon 
PHOTOGRAPHS by Nisal Baduge

 

Check out highlights from after the show here. 

Watch HiTV's coverage of the Emerging Designers Showcase here.