Founded by Asanka de Mel back in 2015, LOVI Ceylon crafts luxury activewear sarongs. Designed in San Francisco and made in Sri Lanka, LOVI is an upcoming brand redefining an age old item of clothing loved and worn by  many Sri Lankans. 

LOVI Ceylon will be debuting at the Colombo Fashion Week this March so we catch up with CEO, Asanka to hear his thoughts; 

Tell us a little bit about the brand LOVI Ceylon and how it came about? 

LOVI is a modern, contemporary take on sarongs. Functionally our sarongs have pockets, belts, and lining to make it easier to wear and move around, hands free.  Aesthetically, it's contemporary and dressed up. We’re innovating a garment that belongs to our heritage. It’s a lot of fun, but we also take this seriously. LOVI has a U.S. Patent on the design of pockets in sarongs. 

What’s the story behind the name ‘LOVI’? 

My fiancée was studying fruit vocabulary in Sinhala. I was thinking of names for the business, and it clicked. Plus LOVI sounds like ‘love.’ What’s better than that? 

Why sarongs? 

Everyone looks amazing in sarongs. No matter your body size, whether you’re a guy or girl, we all love sarongs and feel good wearing them. But over time, they stopped innovating on sarongs. How are you going to wear a sarong outside without a place to put your phone? So we put in a pocket, and a few other practicalities. Because our modern life is one in motion, isn’t it? 

You’ve taken a Sri Lankan household clothing item and made it into a fashion statement of your own. What makes LOVI sarongs so different? 

It’s a giant canvas! I am overflowing with ideas. Sometimes I have to pace myself to avoid trying everything new at once. We’re always thinking about the trends. Yesterday’s sarong wasn’t meant to be worn fashionably. LOVI is. 

It’s your debut at the Colombo Fashion Week! How does it feel to be showcasing LOVI? 

I’m very excited about this debut, and honored to show LOVI among Sri Lanka’s top designers. We’ve been working hard, so it’s a thrill to finally have a chance to show it on stage. It’s been a challenge to think about the difference between a runway show and making clothes people want to wear. You can’t see how good these sarongs feel unless you try them on. The feel is probably the most important thing about a garment to me. But I’ve added a little pizazz to my pieces to jazz up the show! 

What’s the LOVI Ceylon collection for Summer 2018 all about? 

LOVI's theme ‘Modern Ceylon’ is inspired by our ideas to renew and reclaim the sarong. It’s the push and pull of identity in a globalized world. How can we be simultaneously uniquely Sri Lankan, or Ceylonese and a global citizen?  Within Modern Ceylon, the collection has a nautical theme. We explore the land as an island, surrounded by a vast ocean; the seafaring, explorers of Sri Lanka. 

What’s the one stereotype about sarongs or wearing sarongs that you’d like to prove wrong? 

I want to remind people that the sarong is an inclusive garment. Whether you are Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim or Burgher, no matter your age, gender, or body size, you look good in a sarong. When you wear a sarong, you show you are proud to be Sri Lankan. We did a survey to find that almost 75% of Sri Lankans wear sarongs—but mostly at home. With modern, on trend designs, LOVI is giving men and women permission to wear the sarong they love outdoors, fashionably. 

How do you see LOVI Ceylon expanding in the future? 

Today, when people think of Sri Lanka they think of the sun, beaches, spices, and Ceylon tea. I want to add LOVI to that list. I want LOVI Ceylon to have an identity that’s instantly recognizable around the world - as authentically Sri Lankan, world-class fashion. I want to see the sarong and our traditional clothing renewed as designer wear. I want kids to want to wear LOVI.