Here's a look at the international designers taking part in Colombo Fashion Week 2013
Agatha Ruiz de la Prada
International Artist and Designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada has come a long way since her first women’s collection which was presented in Madrid a little over 30 years ago.
For Agatha, her creations exceed their value in the limelight of fashion and have gone on to become true forms of artistic expression as certain design pieces have been exhibited in several galleries throughout the Spanish territory and abroad.
Agatha has recently launched several new collections along with her online store such as jewellery in gold and diamonds, carpets, helmets, sport clothes and digital cameras among others.
In 2010 she was invited to present her collections in a host of Latin American countries and has designed and inaugurated three wall murals in Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile and Lima.
As of today her collections are recurrent in catwalks in Spain, France, Italy, Colombia, Poland, Greece, Santo Domingo, The United States, Mexico, among others.
Her exhibitions are not far behind, reaching destinations such as Tokyo, New York, Paris, Moscow, Bucharest. In 2011 she was also awarded the maximum recognition afforded to an artist in Spain, the “Lorenzo il Magnifico” award at the Florence Biennale for the Arts and Design in Italy.
Bibi Russell
Bibi Russell a name that has gone from one dizzy height to another. A face of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and many more that was head hunted at her graduation show at the London College of Fashion in 1976.
Since then she has enjoyed success as an astounding International super model, a career spanning from 1976 to 1993. But modelling was just a small start to the star Bibi wanted to touch, a dream that developed close to her heart gave birth to Bibi Productions in 1995.
Bibi began her journey to represent the vivid colours of Bangladesh, a recognition of heritage that they fully deserve and giving the crafts people the golden opportunity to enhance their considerable skills to achieve economic survival and to build towards a prosperous future.
A very graceful, humble and modest Bibi has gained endless awards, respect and recognition for her achievements. Her Extraordinary passion and believe that fashion can be used for social good and for a positive movement has been touched by people around the world.
Bibi’s sheer hard work in developing outstanding handloom fabrics with colours that are non-chemically produced, taking into consideration of our environment has not gone without recognition. Bibi’s fight to conquer poverty through creativity is spreading like a contagious smile in places such as India (Rajasthan, Kolkata, Assam), Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Africa, Latin America (especially in Colombia), Denmark and Europe. Bibi has worked closely with crafts people of these countries to revive their craftsmanship.
In Bibi’s own words: “When people see my collections, I want them to understand and appreciate all the work and effort that has gone into them. I want to preserve the heritage of my country, foster creativity, provide employment, empower women and contribute towards the eradication of poverty. That’s what I’m committed to do.”
JASON AND ANSHU
Smallshop is a collaborative between Anshu and Jason, created in the middle of 2006 when they began retailing home and fashion respectively out of two stand-alone stores in Bangalore. Soon other boutique stores across India were added, and another in Spain as well, but their designs have made their way throughout the world.
The Smallshop aesthetic can be best summed up as vibrant, painterly whimsical and luxuriously languid. The ‘Luxury’ stems from the various unique hand processes the product goes through, the use of natural fabrics, which are finally translated into clothes that are soft, draped and artistic.
Juan Duyos
Winner of the L´Oreal prize for the best collection of the season at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Milan in 2013, Juan Duyos is no stranger to success. Duyos who is born in Madrid, began working in 1992 with the designer Manuel Piña whilst designing his first collection along with Cecilia Paniagua, a collaboration popularly known as the brand DUYOS&PANIAGUA.
After several catwalks at Pasarela Cibeles and his presence at 1998 London Fashion Week, Juan goes solo in 1999, with his awarded as best in Cibeles for his “Recuerda y guarda” collection. Since then he’s gone on from many more collaborations to design projects that have secured him positions across the globe; some of which include collaborations with brands such as Procter&Gamble, Campari, Unilever, Ecovidrio, Silestone, Nokia, Seagram´s, Osborne, Special K and even Nintendo. Since September 2011, Juan Duyos also works as Degree Director at the Fashion Design School ESNE.
Duyos has built a career with his own and recognizable style based on his personal use of color, fabrics, shapes and volumes, always with an eye on the past and another on the future.
Nishantha de Gruiter
A man of style that leads by example, Nishantha who is currently based in New York is a shining example of Sri Lankans abroad making waves in the world of fashion.
Nish de Gruiter, formerly of Brunello Cucinelli is one of the masterminds and creative forces behind Amsterdam based menswear brand “Suitsupply” that’s taking the world of fashion by storm, and America, one state at a time. A brand blessed with unequal media attention from every male fashion guide in existence, whilst being ranked on par with other companies who constantly challenge the status quo by GQ and Esquire.
Nish designs and supplies suits for men of every age who want to feel better, look younger, and wear clothes that fit their individual physique whilst he believes style doesn’t start and stop at just fashion. Growing up and studying design in Holland, and a brief period in Italy, Nish is a regular feature in international street style blogs as well as GQ online.
Ashikur Rahman Pony
Ashikur Rahman Pony is a promising young designer showing much talent and creativity in the field of fashion. His work is a blend of contemporary and traditional styles of design, further exemplified by his work with local fabrics like khadi, silk, cotton and muslin.
His fashion icon is Bibi Russell and he wants to achieve success in fashion and design much like her. He has shown his creativity in different fashion shows and exhibitions whilst his work as a costume designer for TV and Drama has also won him much recognition. Pony is ready to present something exclusive at HSBC Colombo Fashion Week 2013.
Turquoise & Gold
Turquoise & Gold is a family owned fashion house started in the year 2007. A story of vibrant prints, sensual fabrics and easy silhouettes, Turquoise & Gold is a brand born from the passion to create clothes to make women feel comfortable, confident and chic.
Behind it’s every success is Dimple Varma, the Managing Director of Turquoise & Gold whose vast career expands from working in her family garment export company, ICU for 13 years to Turquoise & Gold Apparels Pvt Ltd to product development for Stella McCartney, Burberry, Kenzo and IKKS just to name a few. Having studied at the prestigious London College of Fashion and extensively well travelled, It is this great exposure that has molded her keen interest and inspiration for fashion.
The label focuses on feel-good prints and passion for travel, which reflects in vibrant, fun and easy silhouettes. The brand’s philosophy has also been to create collections that are affordable without compromising on quality and luxury even though the prints they use are specially crafted and customized from Europe; a unique essence of Turquoise & Gold.
The Turquoise & Gold woman is a free spirited, global traveller who wants to be elegant and enjoys being feminine whilst always on the move with her eventful lifestyle. The brand epitomizes contemporary resort wear, as the label focuses on feel-good prints and passion for travel, which reflects in vibrant, fun and easy silhouettes.
Radhika Perera Hernandez
The British born Sri Lankan designer, Radhika Perera-Hernandez, is bringing a touch of multi- functional classic elegance, mixed with the intrigue and glamour of her Eastern roots to the fashion arena worldwide.
Moving to New York in her mid 20's, she began designing for Beyonce and Tina Knowles clothing labels; which included a contemporary women’s clothing line available at Selfridges and other international boutiques named House of Dereon.
During her years working with this music icon, she helped design looks for Beyonce’s public appearances, the red carpet, her international tours and various live music shows like the MTV Video Music Awards and the Grammys. The experience she gained working with the creative team equipped her with a wealth of knowledge.
In the summer of 2010 Lois London was born, an organically grown collection of the most mesmerizing kaftans and swimwear. Lois London is the exotic culmination of the essence of her vintage muses, old Hollywood glamour and eastern beauty.
Each Kaftan perfectly accents a variety of silhouettes. Intricate beading, rich colors and airy fabrics put the wearer in touch with her inner goddess. Tasteful, opulent, effortless, multi- purpose the garments are draped to the female form in luxurious fabrics.
Sounak – House of Three
Combing classic elegance with a practical urban lifestyle, Sounak and his “House of Three” is what every city girl needed so much of; on the go, super chic style.
Born in kolkata in a family with close ties to music and theatre, Sounak grew up training and consequently working in fashion but his interests, inspirations and dalliances in music, choreography, interior design, architecture, illustrations, graphic art seamlessly follow into create a lifestyle that is completely his own.
And this very ability, the one to have a clear vision and to be able to articulate it, helped him create one of the most iconic brands in India today and it continues to spur him on the various creative projects he is involved in.
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