‘The Responsible Fashion Movement’ aims to showcase Sri Lanka as platform for ‘clean’ and ‘responsib

• Hosts Sri Lanka’s first fashion hackathon 

The Responsible Fashion Movement is conceptualised by The Design Development Corporation to implement the practical aspect of clean and responsible fashion. The first forum which includes Sri Lanka’s first fashion hackathon was conceptualised in association with MAS Sustainability team involving design students from four fashion schools and existing designers. This inclusive forum which took place at the Hilton Colombo is collaborating with schools and designers to create an eco-system of good fashion which can be used by regional brands to move towards being green conscious.

Fashion currently ranks among the top 3 most polluting industries in the world is drawing attention and yet the action to reduce negative impact is still slow in gaining momentum. 

“There are talks around the world, but not enough action, when I look around I see that Sri Lanka can create a strong platform and tangibility with relevant solutions. We are in a position to do it and we need to empower young designers and designers to be conscious of the environment and society, it will be amazing to have a generation of Green Thinking designers. Hence we are creating a unique forum to educate them and create solutions. The first Fashion Hackathon in Sri Lanka is our first attempt at tangibility and solutions. There will be a lot happening in this space,” says Ajai Vir Singh, visionary and the leader behind The Responsible Fashion Movement.

The sustainable fashion products continue to grow at a steady pace, it is led by an ever increasing population of aware and discerning consumers in US, Europe and parts of Asia, this is beginning to put pressure on global fashion brands to open their doors to clean fashion. The manufacturers who will move in this direction earlier will have an advantage. There also exists a wide gap between the action of designers and manufacturers; hence so far every action is resting with the manufacturers. The designers are in a position to lead the corrective action.

“Designers above all have the power to influence and change the new world we are challenged with. MAS is happy to partner with The Responsible Fashion Movement and is conscious of this ‘new normal’ and we hope this first Forum is the beginning of a revolution,” says Sharika Senanayake, the Director of Environmental Sustainability, MAS Capital. 

The objective behind the First Fashion Hackathon was to involve design students, designers and industry stakeholders to bring in functionality and practicality based on the knowledge that was imparted in the Forum that preceded it.

The task to hack at the first fashion hackathon was ‘The making of the green tee’, it saw the participation of students from University of Moratuwa, Raffles, The Open University, past students of other fashion schools, Sri Lankan designers and MAS designers. This ongoing program will see the creation of the greenest possible Green T-shirt by various teams.

The products created will be evaluated and one team will be declared a winner of this hackathon. The winner will then go on to present their design at Emerging Designer Showcase at Colombo Fashion Week and will receive the opportunity to have their design manufactured and marketed internationally.