Bringing a fresh new look to her clothing line and boutique, beauty queen turned designer Sabrina Herft proudly announced the launch of her new collection ‘Indulgence’ in December. Soft pastel shades and delightful 1950s-inspired floral prints, the Indulgence collection incorporates local handmade lace and machine lace into the clothing items.

Sabrina Heft and partner Narada Dissanayake launch the Azarya web boutique.

“The colour palette used in the Indulgence Collection is quite a contrast from the one used for my first collection, Decadence, as the designs have a softer femininity and gracefulness to them, which was not as apparent in the former collection. The one commonality in both collections is the prevalence of the 1950s influence, which can be seen in the designs. I draw my inspiration from 1950s style icons and screen goddesses such as Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly and in many ways my designs are a homage to the vintage designs of the time which have been taken and recreated with a modern twist. There is no greater feeling of elegance and sensuality than the ones created by the designs of the 1950s,” explained Sabrina Herft at the launch.

“There is a sentimental attachment towards this particular collection, for me, as all of the lace used for this collection is from Galle, produced by an inspiring lady named Priyani, a tsunami survivor. Priyani lost her home and workshop containing her machines in the 2004 tsunami, including a member of her staff and is now rebuilding her home and her life by selling lace to tourists and locals in Colombo. I am glad that Azarya was able to help her in this process,” she further explained.

With its launch in July 2013, Azarya designs have garnered a favourable response from customers at the boutique, and inquiries about designs from overseas have reached Sabrina, thus pushing her to launch an online boutique as well, for the convenience of overseas customers. “Launching Azarya was a leap of faith for me and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and friends. The overwhelmingly positive reaction by customers towards the first collection was a welcome surprise and most of all I felt a sense of relief that it was so well received,” she added.

The online boutique by Azarya utilizes a secure, professional distribution system, and started catering to online shoppers in Sri Lanka in December 2014 and to Australia, America and Europe starting this January. Sabrina also has plans to make her collection available in Australia this year, in addition to expanding her portfolio to include a children’s clothing line and a knitwear line under the label ‘Azarya Essentials’.

Alterations are done free of charge to Azarya’s ready-to-wear designs, providing customers with a perfect fit. Azarya Bespoke was also launched in 2014, for custom-made clothing to suit personal preferences of customers.

The Indulgence Collection is available at the Azarya Boutique, Arcade Independence Square. Further information and access to the e-boutique is available through http://www.azarya.lk.

By Sarah Kellapatha