Sustainable fashions on the catwalk at Interbrand-Daily FT International Women’s Day on 21 March

Interbrand in association with the Daily FT will celebrate International Women’s Day [IWD] 2022, at a gala celebration on 21 March at the Cinnamon Grand Ballroom, commencing 7 p.m. 

In keeping with the theme of sustainability in all aspects of life, a fashion show featuring both established as well as upcoming designers will be part of the evening’s program.

Michael Wijeysuriye, Sonali Dharmawardena, Mano Caderamanpulle, Jaishree Jayesinghe, Ruwanthi Gajadeera, Thilini Silva, Kamil Heawawitharane, Brian Kerkoven, and Umanga Kulasekara, will showcase their designs at this gala event, while designers Kavita Thulasidas and Jyoti Singh – Jo Kilda, from Singapore will also have their creations on the catwalk, with  Jo Kilda featuring outfits made of Vegan Leather in keeping with the theme of Sustainability, on the catwalk.

Jo Kilda is for the distinctive woman – classic with an edge. “We are all about the lifestyle experience. Simply beyond retail fashion, we want to introduce a platform where women can feel modern and stylish, yet edgy as a reflection of their confident, fun and forward-thinking everyday living. 

We are working towards protecting the planet and caring for the people involved in our processes. We cultivate honest and transparent relationships with all suppliers, manufacturers, agents, and within the Jo Kilda team as well. Being responsible is the pillar of our brand and how we envision our present and future. For us, it is all about making decisions with love and consideration for our planet and the people in it. We are just at the beginning of our sustainability journey, but we will always be committed to doing better and growing into a reliable sustainable brand.” 

In the past couple of years, Jo Kilda has grown from a small business to a well-known household brand with a presence in New York and worldwide e-commerce sites. “There is no limit to creativity,” says designer Jyoti Singh. 

Mano Caderamanpulle, yet another household name in Sri Lanka’s fashion scene, has an extremely diverse range of designs and outfits that she creates ranging from Eastern, to Western to fusion wear, casual and formal, embroidered, tie and dye, patchwork and appliqué! “Nature’s brilliance has influenced the colours of the fabrics I use. Giving women the confidence to articulate themselves through statement pieces, has been my mission,” says Mano whose brand ‘Mano’, is synonymous with all things beautiful and spectacular.

“I was brought up in this industry. My mother was the first to bring in high-end Indian fashion to Singapore in the 1970s. 

I have grown up watching my mum work in this industry and interacting with tailors, embroiders and designers. I was a fashion savvy teenager and started contributing ideas from a very early age. At 18 years old I put together and launched my first collection and there has been no looking back,” 

says Kavita Thulasidas who took the local fashion scene by storm with her maiden fashion show in Sri Lanka ‘Threads of Time’ staged in 2019, along with her Sri Lankan partner 

Anita Dorai, who is also from Singapore. “Fashion is constantly evolving and to be in this industry we need to be constantly innovating new ideas and concepts. I cannot say exactly what inspires me, it can be a combination of experiences, places I travel to, people we meet and stories we read about. I love art, culture and history. I love nature and being in my element.” Kavita now has her own store at One Galle Face in Colombo, and looks forward to a continued presence in Sri Lanka.

Ruwanthi Gajadeera holds a BA (Hons) in Fashion and Textile Design from AOD – Northumbria University, Sri Lanka. “I live in a region where owning something pre-loved or wearing garments with reconstructed fabrics are considered economically and socially inferior. As a designer I hope to educate more people about how valuable sustainable fashion can be, both environmentally and aesthetically,” says Ruwanthi. Ruwanthi’s Redress Design Award collection, ‘kǣli’, meaning pieces, celebrates the diminishing heritage craftsmanship in her region of Sri Lanka. She upcycles multiple types of end-of-roll and deadstock waste fabrics and second-hand clothing together, through the use of patchwork, crochet, and handweaving. She combines these low-tech processes with high-tech Ozone bleaching and laser printing techniques to further transform the waste materials. 

Ruwanthi aims to create quality, timeless ‘generational garments’ that will have multiple wearers throughout their lives. Beyond traditional labelling, the collection includes transparency on the fabrics and how to recycle. She is the first South Asian fashion designer to win the Taiwan Fashion Design Awards at the 2021 Taipei Fashion Week. She has also represented Sri Lanka in a variety of other international competitions such as Redress Design Awards 2021, Hong Kong, International Baltic Ethnic Fashion Festival 2021, Saint Petersburg and Graduate Fashion Week 2021, London. She employs zero-waste, up-cycling, reconstruction techniques.

Jaishree Jayesinghe needs no introduction to Sri Lankan as well as regional audiences. Her bold colours and flowing shapes are synonymous with couture. “I try to use the finest fabrics, because I feel that using the finest fabrics makes a huge difference to the garment,” says Jaishree. Her quality of material is easily discerned with a touch. Her talent too, is undeniable. The designs – ‘a fusion of western glamour interspersed with ethnic elegance’ – are visually arresting, unique and beautiful. Her label is as versatile as it gets – from sarees to dresses to kaftans to skirts and pants, there is always something for everyone. Each piece is painstakingly designed to stand out and the embellishments done by hand. Batiks, tie dye, cutwork and striking prints help the designs make a statement.

There is a known reality that artists are elusive. Michael  Wijeysuriye is possibly the epitome of this statement. He has been ‘enjoying’ his career as a couture designer for over two decades. So much so, that he often wonders if this is a job. Hardly so, for one who has fun with every design he creates. No small wonder he has won so much recognition both in Sri Lanka and overseas. What drives Michael is how much his clientele enjoy what he does for them and this sense of synergy, coupled with his creative genius and professionalism has made Michael’s design-business get to the top rung within the industry. The common factors Michael seems to share are his love for what he does and what he counts his greatest blessing and strength – family and committed staff.

Sonali Dharmawardena, the artist behind many a beautiful creation, has worked with many creative mediums from pottery, jewellery, fine arts in oils, watercolour and pencil, but with her discovery of the heritage art of batik, her life took on a whole new journey, as her love of fashion and art converged. Batik, one of the oldest methods of value addition to fabric in the yesteryear, became the happy medium for her to express and share her unique sense of style and design. 

Sonali has taken one of the oldest Sri Lankan artisan crafts and put her own individual stamp on it. Experimenting with new technologies and innovations, she delights in adding more value and texture to the fabric created using traditional batik methodology. Every piece that you see in her gallery is a hand crafted, individual work of art. No two pieces are the same. Even if you were to request a bespoke design similar to one on the site, what she designs for you, though similar in colour and motif, will be unique, giving you the pleasure of wearing a unique garment of art.

Brian Kerkoven is a man of many talents. In addition to his design genius, Sri Lanka’s No. 1 Modelling School ‘The Model Maker’, gives young aspirants who wish to join this glamorous industry that extra polish that will put them ahead of other models, who have not been trained to react with confidence and self-assurance. 

“Having been a model myself and now a choreographer, it is easy to teach them and guide them accordingly to avoid upsetting the choreographer and their fellow models by not knowing the technical terms, the movements which would be involved in the choreography and the particular show which requires everything to move smoothly and synchronised. From time to time, our previous students who are now Top Models, as well as Miss and Mister Sri Lankas, will drop in to advise, guide and instruct the current students and check out on their progress.” Brian continues to design glamorous and beautiful garments, especially evening wear, garments that are timeless, hence sustainable.

Kamil ‘Limak’, was exposed to designing from an early age. He was inspired by his mother, who was an expert at designing and creating outfits for his five sisters. His design ethos involves creating voluminous and constructed outfits, which have a great sense of drama. Kamil’s creations have been worn by Sri Lankan beauties at many international pageants such as Miss Universe, Miss International, and Supermodel of the World to name a few. 

His collections have also been showcased internationally in Spain, New York and London. 

Kamil Hewavitharana, the designer behind the brand ‘LIMAK by Kamil’ is the first and only Sri Lankan to showcase his collection at the inaugural Dubai Fashion Week 2021 held on the 16-18th of December 2021. 

“My collections have been showcased internationally in New York, London and Spain, and locally back in 2019 and 2020 at the Colombo Fashion Week. My collections were showcased in New York and at the Shades of Ceylon show, in London. Every collection was totally different to the one before in style, colour, material and inspiration. I have always dressed well and admired people who did too. At times it was difficult finding something different and interesting in retail, so I started by creating clothes for myself and my friends and this hobby was the start of LIMAK by KAMIL. LIMAK is actually KAMIL spelt backwards! A close friend of mine helped me create the brand.”

UDAK by Umanga Kulasekara is a designer wear brand created to make a positive, rebellious impact in as many ways as possible. “Through textile and garment innovations as we are stepping into a new generation, I endeavour to use my creative skills to create garments for those who use their voice to demand social, political and environmental change.” With a true passion for textile and silhouette innovation UDĀK has created a genuine relationship with local artisans with an aim to promote heritage textiles and the local artisans who make them. With a contemporary aesthetic, based on using hand woven materials, UDĀK aims to merge an edgy, on-trend aesthetic with a motive to practice the concept of sustainability. 

Each year, UDĀK aims to create unconventional and unique pieces to a new generation of consumers and make them understand that with each purchase they are supporting our local artisans to keep local craftsmanship alive. “UDĀK is a sustainable brand that offers beautiful products inspired by our island’s rich heritage”. The talented creator of the UDĀK brand 

Umanga Kulasekara says, “Sustainability could be explained in many ways. Yet, for the fashion industry, sustainability means environmental protection, social justice, economic fairness, and cultural validity.”

Young designer Thilini Silva recently launched her new collection at PR. A graduate from AOD, Thilini is the proud owner of her label TSS. Thilini Silva is a talented designer who is blessed with a creative eye. Her latest collection featured art work inspired by Sri Lankan artist Laki Senanayake. Thilini is partial to creating her own fabric designs and given her artistic inclination it seems an entirely sensible option. Her silhouettes are simple but stylish and her colour palette provides her collection with nuances of sophistication. 

“Ever since I remember I’ve always tagged along with my mother when hunting for fabric. I feel like I am a kid in a candy store when I enter a fabric store and my mind gets filled with ideas. I also enjoy being in my mother’s workshop watching the process. While helping out I realised this is what I enjoy doing; experimenting and getting my hands dirty and taking risks to make someone feel confident and beautiful. I have considered other careers like architecture and I’ve visited sites and gone through my father’s work but my love has always been towards fashion design. Fabrics like pure silks, crepe silks and cotton silks and using them in a way where there is less wastage. I have also used fabrics hand painted with cotton dyes inspired by the ‘Pen & Ink’ by Sri Lankan artist Laki Senanayaka.”

The strategic partner for this gala event will be Mastercard, while Corporate sponsors are SLT and Mobitel, NDB and Supreme Flora, with Host Hotel once again being the Cinnamon Grand.

Tickets are now on sale at the Cinnamon Grand; hotline: 0763921340.