Yasisurie Kiribandara, a prominent personality in the Sri Lankan fashion arena today, was one of the five participants who represented Sri Lanka at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) held in June this year. Having launched her brands ‘Yasisurie’ and ‘Oneera’ back in 2014, Yasisurie has also moved on to produce her bridal wear collection as well. With a passion for fashion designing and empowering women, Yasisurie wants to voice out her concerns and make a change through her profession. 

In a casual conversation with Life Online, Yasisurie shared her experience at the GES, her views on the fashion industry today while also giving a few tips for upcoming designers. 

Why did you want to focus more on women’s empowerment? 

There are many issues in this society. I believe that in moving forward, it is not just attributed to one person, but for everybody. There are so many women out there who are single parents and many who are still working for low salaries. When at a garment they most of the time remain in the same place and there is no progress. Many women end up abroad for odd jobs but they face a horrible plight. Some never return, some return as victims of rape and some return in coffins. This situation needs to change.The quality of life of women should improve and that is something I will work for. Right now I have 10 women working with me. I mainly focus on their skill development. For them to join me, I don’t look for any skills. I want them to learn something and utilize the knowledge to start something of their own. At the end of the day I want them to feel empowered and make them stand up as entrepreneurs. I feel that women should not be exploited in any industry. There needs to be a reward system, a system in which they would be appreciated for what they are doing. This is where I want to make a change. 

Tell us about your experience at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. 

The GES is an initiative of the US Department of State. It is a platform that invites young entrepreneurs to gather and make a change in the world. This time I had the privilege of representing Sri Lanka among four other entrepreneurs. I was recommended by the US Embassy of Sri Lanka. GES is a three day conference which focuses mainly on networking between business leaders, foundations, and entrepreneurs from different countries. When I went there I figured out that there are many people who actually care about the world. The event took place at the Stanford University at Silicon Valley and it was a lifetime achievement for me. There were businessmen, investors, individuals interested in poverty alleviation, climate control and many other social issues. I am also humbly proud to say that I was one of the two fashion designers who were present at the event. The level of motivation was beyond explanation because I felt the urge to take my business to the next level. 

What are your views on the local fashion industry today? 

It has definitely grown. But the business aspect of it is still weak. It is catered only for a few people but in my point of view everybody should have access to it. Fashion is an art. In other countries fashion shows are organised in order to sell designs. Take for example the Delhi Fashion week, it mainly aims at the buyers. But here we see that many shows are for entertainment. Our focus has to change in order to move forward. 

How do you see local talents? Do they have a creativity of their own? 

Our designers are very talented but it is not highlighted. New designers are creative but they have to create designs that would sell. We do have uniqueness in our designs but we should also see if a particular design could be worn. In most cases these designers showcase avant-garde collections. Our designers also do not know when to put out their collections. For example the next year’s Spring/Summer collection should be out by this September/October. So they have no clue about that. I think that Sri Lankan designers should look in to the next level. Therefore they require a lot of training and that is why they need to find new avenues to improve their standards. The summit which I participated had mentoring programmes solely aimed at empowering the entrepreneurs. Our designers should get an exposure about how the international fashion industries function and produce quality designs. 

What are the challenges faced by upcoming designers? 

They have challenges when it comes to financing. There needs to be someone who would be interested in investing. I believe that crowd-funding is a good option or else they could get involved in Start-up competitions. The next challenge is to find a good co-founder. It could be a family member, a relative or even a close friend who would back you as a mentor. This is where I would also like to extend my support. I would like to be a mentor for those who need some advice about how to survive in this industry. Also when it comes to sales and marketing, they should be as untraditional as possible. They should find new ways of selling their products such as starting online stores. 

What advice would you like to give upcoming designers? 

If you are truly passionate about what you are doing then your doors will open up. The other fact is that you should be legal in everything. Therefore, first and foremost, you should register your business because then people will know that you are serious about what you are doing. Don’t focus on the pomp and the show. Find some space to work and in that case even your house would be a good place to start your business. Don’t waste money on overheads. It is a must that a designer should do pageants but you should always be wise. Think of others around you as well and always start small. Then eventually you can head towards progress. 

Acknowledgements? 

First and foremost I thank Almighty God for giving me all the strength to achieve greater heights. Then, I would like to thank my mother, sister, Rifa Mustapha, President of Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Surekha and the team, SriyaniTidball and everybody who has helped me to be who I am today. I would also like to thank the US Embassy, US Department of State, Ambassador Atul Keshap and the entire economics team.