Amilani Perera shines at Asian Designer Week 2016 in New Delhi

The exotic luxury fashion brand, Amilani Perera, was the only Sri Lankan brand to be featured at the Asian Designer Week 2016, which was held from 19-20 November in New Delhi, India.

Amilani Perera designer wear is a ready to wear brand which incorporates the traditional Sri Lankan cultural motifs together with a hint of modern trending style, therein providing the wearer with a truly unique garment. 

Currently retailing in Sri Lanka, the Amilani Perera women’s wear designer label has been showcasing at the Colombo Fashion Week consecutively for the past four years. In October this year, Amilani Perera was one of the few Sri Lankan designers to be featured in the LAKMÉ Sri Lanka Fashion Week by DIVAlicious.

Perera is a graduate from the renowned “Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore.” In her career, she has worked as a designer with leading global garment manufacturers such as MAS Holdings for amanté lingerie brand and also worked as a design consultant for Arvind Life Style Brands, Bangalore, India. She also emerged as a finalist in the British Council’s Young Creative Entrepreneur Design and Fashion Award in 2012 and in the Sri Lanka Fashion and Apparel Awards 2013 under the “Industry Young Blood” and “Sustainable Fashion” award categories. 

Showcasing at the Asian Designer Week 2016 was definitely a highlight for Perera, and for the designer fashion industry in Sri Lanka on a whole. While being 100% cruelty-free, she uses premium vegan materials for her products without sacrificing the essence of her designs and product quality.

Speaking on her showcasing at the event, Perera said: “It was a true honour to be invited to participate at the Asian Designer Week, representing Sri Lanka. The experience was memorable and useful in sharing knowledge with designers and fashion industry elites from other Asian countries, such as Singapore, Indonesia, Bhutan and India. I am humbled that my designs are helping Sri Lanka to connect with the world of fashion in the region.”

Perera’s Fall/Winter 2016 Collection that was strut on the runway in New Delhi at the Asian Designer Week weaved the crowds in through its theme of Gajaga Vannama – the Dance of the King’s Tusker. 

‘Gaja’ is the Sanskrit word for elephant, and ‘Vannama’ is an aspect of the Sri Lankan traditional Kandyan Dance, where the word is derived from the Sinhala word ‘Var-nana’ which means ‘to praise’. The resplendent and tough nature of the elephant was portrayed through structural forms in vegan leather and the elephant’s endearing innocence was portrayed through the lush chiffons. The mysterious deep blue and tinge of green hues mesmerised the audience.

Commenting on her collection, Business Manager Anand Tikekar said: “Connecting with Amilani Perera was an honour. Her ready-to-wear high-end collection is luxurious and caters to to a niche group of people. Thank you very much for adding your magic and making this event move from great to fantabulous.”

Perera’s collection from Asian Designer Week 2016 is now available at Melaché, No. 26, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7. The funds from the collection will be donated towards a cause Amilani feels deeply for: saving elephants held in captivity releasing them into their natural habitat.