Emerging Designers at CFW Resort 2016
Under a rain laden cloudy sky at the Lighthouse Hotel in Galle, the Emerging Designers kicked off Day One of CFW Resort 2015. The crème de la crème of young designers, some of them just cutting their teeth in the fashion world were picked to showcase their collection.
Pants, jumpsuits, dresses, shorts skirts and wraps in a various silhouettes and styles were sent down the runway by these aspiring designers. A great start to a three day festival of fashion, the Resort Show by CFW is aimed at further cementing Sri Lanka’s position as a fashion hub in South Asia.
Tarja de Silva
Presenting her second collection at a CFW event, Tarja’s latest collection featured the pineapple. After years of studying abroad she realised her biggest muse to be her island home Sri Lanka. Her resortwear collection Annasi used the tropical fruit, the pineapple as her inspiration, together with tie and bleach methods to create a washed off shore look. She collaborated with accessories designer Minnie to present a fun collection with a very youthful vibe.
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Azzraa Thaarick
A graduate of the Academy of Design, Azzraa’s collection was oh so stylish. Simple silhouettes oozed style and class in a collection where prints and plain fabric were perfectly paired. Using a colour palette of whites and greys, the collection was minimalistic yet eye-catching coupled with sophistication and class.
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Ridma Samaranayake
Showing for the second time at CFW, Ridma’s collection packed a punch with vibrant colour. Inspired by the mosaic park, Park Guell designed by Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona, this University of Northampton graduate was certainly not afraid to use bright colours in geometric prints in her collection. Using a colour palette of yellow, red, orange and blue the collection has lots of crop tops, shorts and dresses which were not only bold in colour but bold in design too.
Anne Devananda
A graduate of the Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology, Anne presented a collection which was bold in colour and organic in shape. Asymmetrical hemlines dominated her collection. Titled ‘Immortal Feud’, her collection was inspired by a Jaffna tradition in which churches and temples try and outdo each other with lights. The contrast of flashy versus conservative was the basis of her mood board. The collection used traditional handloom cotton fabrics in a colour palette of deep blue, bright red and classic white.
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Nithya Nanayakkara
A safari inspired collection saw Nithya create clothes aimed at strong independent women. A graduate of the Lasalle College of The Arts, Singapore, Nithya was chosen by the Audi Fashion Festival in Singapore 2014 to showcase her graduate collection. Khaki and leopard prints featured heavily in her collection that was accessorised with studded belts and leather trims which added an extra dimension to her collection.
Shanika Samarakkody
Clearly a designer with a practical mind, Shanika’s collection used microfibre fabric which is both lightwear and travel friendly, so travellers can ditch the iron while on holiday. A graduate of the Raffles Design Institute, Shanika started her label Agent four years ago. Titled Metropolitan, her collection for the show was created with newspaper print in a palette of Mediterranean blues. The utility suit she had featured in her collection looked hot and stood out by a mile.
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Angelina Senevirathne
This passionate young designer has come a long way since her debut collection at CFW earlier this year. Designing for her brand Curves, Angelina is a graduate of the Manchester Metropolitan University and the Academy of Design. Her collection Endemique, inspired by Sri Lankan flowers was stunning. Incorporating Batik and embroidery on Indian voile and pure silk, in a colour palette of lilac, purple and shades of green, her creations balanced youthfulness and stylishness with equal aplomb.
Nayani Fernando
One of the most sophisticated collections on show, Nayani nailed it with looks that were elegant and sophisticated and most importantly well executed. A graduate from the University of Salford, her final collection was showcased at London Graduate Fashion Week 2014 and shortlisted for the Limerick International Fashion Student awards in Ireland. Daring necklines and semi bare backs were the focal points in her collection which used a sober colour palette of predominantly black, grey and white long flowing silhouettes were made interesting with pleating details which gave her collection an extra va va voom.
A recipient of The Link 2013 award and a finalist at Maredimoda, a prestigious contest for beachwear and lingerie in Italy, Srivithiya is an Italian trained fashion designer who graduated from the Istituto Europeo Di Design in Milan. Using self-designed fabric, her collection contained a mix of beachwear and resort wear for men and women. Floral and geometric designs in linen. Cotton and pure silk were used to create a variety of jumpsuits and dresses with cut outs as a feature.
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Heshan de Silva
Undoubtedly one of Sri Lanka’s best new design talent, Heshan presented a collection that was strong in look and beautiful in creation. A graduate of the Art Institute of Washing DC and RMIT University, Australia, Heshan has worked with leading international designers and clothing brands. His signature design aesthetic is composed of geometric prints and is arguably Sri Lanka’s undisputed Prince of Colour blocking! Inspired by Vincent van Gough’s The Starry Night, his collection featured stars as his leitmotif. Using a neutral colour palette in shades of blue, white and black, his collection featured cotton, linen and leather. Crisp white shirts, well cut shorts, and on trend t shirts were the basis of his collection. Judging by the creation and execution of this collection, it is safe to say Heshan’s is definitely on the ascend.
Text by Tina Edward Gunawardhana
Pics by Manoj Ratnayake & Nisal Baduge
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