Sooriya Village Pop-Up -Outlet Fair tomorrow!

Wondering what to do tomorrow? Interested in indulging yourself in some delectable artisan goodies ranging from clothes, fashion accessories, and jewellery to handmade stationery items, coasters, greeting cards, calendars and even sound equipment and nutritious yet mouth-watering munchies? The Sooriya Village Pop-Up-Outlet Fair is the place to be! 

Head on over to The Sooriya Village on Sunday 23 April between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. and be prepared to be mesmerised by the products of your favourite vendors (or soon-to-be favourite vendors!) all under one roof.

The Sooriya Village in keeping in line with its vision as a facility fabricated for artists and art enthusiasts to nurture and explore the culture of arts is excited to announce its newest venture, the very first Pop-Up-Outlet Fair which is designed to provide artistic vendors a physical location to showcase and sell their creations in order to create awareness within the market of their talent and existence. 

The Fair also allows vendors to test-run and gauge the viability of their products or brand as a whole, allowing them to grab a desirable short-term location without making the commitment to a year-round store. The team at The Sooriya Village believes this to be one of the many steps forward toward creating strong ties with the cottage industries within the nation to bring about a lasting change in the arts industry.

To give Fair-goers a sneak peek into what they can expect this weekend, here’s a teeny introduction to each of the vendors who will be showcasing their products at the Fair.

Scribble! – Handmade notebooks and stationery

It had all started in 2011 as a project when co-founders Pathum and Ishara were studying for their degrees at the Academy of Design (AOD) and were both bored and frustrated with existing books, so they decided to start working on their own sketchbooks and notebooks. Before they knew it, all their friends and everyone around them had wanted their own creative sketchbooks and notebooks too.Shortly afterwards, when Sajaan Peiris, a good friend of Scribble, quit his banking job to take Scribble from a hobby project to a functioning brand and company, it had become the brand it is today. Now, operating as a subsidiary of Mooniak – a design and technology studio and consultancy firm, which Pathum co-founded in 2015 – Scribble produces a variety of unique, high quality, creative, handmade sketchbooks, notebooks and stationery items.  What better opportunity for Fair-goers to get their hands on limited edition handmade sketchbooks and notebooks that will get your creative juices flowing? And they even do personalised products according to your specification! Imagine the possibilities that this provides.

Taprobane Arts – Greeting cards, coasters, calendars and photographic prints

Taprobane Art is a company which has been founded to pictorially promote the heritage, culture and spectacular sights of Sri Lanka. It had all got started with a conversation on promoting Sri Lanka as “more than just a beach” and having access to an archive of Sri Lankan photographs, the team at Taprobane Arts embarked on creating practical art that currently includes coasters, greeting cards and calendars of premium quality that also form nice little conversation pieces. 

They have also recently started selling photographic prints (mostly on pre-orders) as well as floated a sub brand ‘Cuddles & Hugs’ that does mainstream greeting cards with a focus on children. For all Fair-goers who are into all things scenically Sri Lankan, this will be your one-stop-shop. 

Koularagama Ceramics – Ceramics

Koularagama Ceramics are made by a small community-based enterprise located in an area which has one of the highest incidences of poverty in the country. Based in Sevanagala, Monaragala District, Koularagama Industrial Cooperative Society Ltd. was registered in April 2005 and began producing and marketing ceramic tableware, gift items and jewellery.  

Identifying the potential that the Cooperative had in creating a social impact, the Cooperative was assisted by the Industrial Development Board, the Export Development Board, and most recently, the VEGA/BIZ+ Project of USAID which enrolled the Cooperative as an investment partner in early 2015. Today the Cooperative has 159 members of whom 90% are women. The expansion of the Cooperative’s operations will result in the creation of new jobs and growth in membership of the Society.

The inspiration for the active members of the Cooperative is the potential to create a positive social impact for their community.  Thus the, Cooperative’s objectives are to provide: 1. Regular income earning opportunities for the members of the Co-operative and others in the community; 2. Avenues of skills development, especially for the younger females, who are faced with socio economic challenges; 3. An avenue to reach economic independence that will eventually lead to empowerment

The vision of the Cooperative is to design and produce a unique line of products for customers in the local and export market who appreciate handmade, ceramic products which are eco-friendly and reflect the flora and fauna of their surroundings. 

For the ultimate feel-good products for all Fair-goers, Koularagama Ceramics is the place to shop; with breath-taking handmade ceramic products which are eco-friendly and help to create a positive social impact in the poorest of areas in the country, you cannot possibly go wrong!

HIMILICIOUS Clothing – Clothes

What amazes her the most is how a simple outfit can influence one’s entire being. Ever since she was a kid, it had always been her ultimate goal to be a part of the fashion industry. Now, her goal is to contribute to the joy of seeing someone happy in something she has created. She is Himanthi Amarasinghe and HIMILICIOUS is her passion project which is excited to present to all Fair-goers this Sunday. 

The growth stage had begun at Lanka Institute of Fashion and Technology, where she had learned about pattern making, sewing and developed her skills and abilities in this particular field. As time passed and the more she had learned she had realised that this is what she loved and wanted to pursue. After graduation she had made the decision to create a label she can call her own – the birth of HIMILICIOUS, a name she had in mind for her brand since she was eight years old. 

HIMILICIOUS is a clothing brand that caters to young women who like to fit in – while standing out. Their range of clothing is a mixture of cute and elegant, which includes trending silhouettes and colour combinations that connect to young and fashion conscious individuals. 

AJ – Fashion accessories and jewellery

Inspired by the adrenaline of entrepreneurial businesses, and the fashion industry, two entrepreneurs, Jagani and Abdullah, collaborated to create Sri Lanka’s first accessory store that provided a range of body chains to temporary tattoos including customary earrings, necklaces, bracelets and other such jewellery. 

The story of AJ began during a rainy tuk ride from the packaging supplier. The visit to the supplier had been the last item on their “To do” list and the two entrepreneurs had been faced with the classic dilemma of naming their business. With conviction to start their new venture they had named their business “AJ” which is obviously the most clichéd way of naming a company – an acronym of the owners’ names. Bearing in mind the controversy it would stir, they had stuck by the name as it had no preconceived impression in a customer’s mind. Thus, the name “AJ” had provided a blank canvas for these entrepreneurs to paint new ventures and portfolios. Fast forward 3 1/2 years and AJ has over 51,000 fans on Facebook and over 5,500 Instagram followers. 

It has a curated collection for women and AJ also recently soft launched the men’s accessories range containing bows, ties, pocket squares, tie clips and lapel pins. Given that the AJ product line has in essence been created to help their customers make a statement, Fair-goers are bound to find a piece or a few to help them shout out to the world what they are all about. 

Zirc Jewellery – Sterling silver jewellery

A father (Zaheen Zarook) and daughter (Zainab Zaheen) duo with over 30 years of experience in the Middle East in gem and jewellery about a year ago started Zirc Jewellery when they realised that Sri Lanka didn’t have a lot to offer in the market in terms of affordable jewellery. After thorough research they found that jewellery was either overpriced or lacking in quality. They felt that often people were fooled into buying low quality jewellery for absurd prices. 

Zaheen Zarook, who is certified as a Diamond Graduate by the Gemmological Institute of America, finds that it is his pleasure to educate clients who come to them with questions on cut, colour, craftsmanship, quality, etc., for he believes that proper knowledge about the quality of what they purchase is crucial. 

Zirc Jewellery markets hand-crafted contemporary jewellery made from highest quality materials at affordable prices. At Zirc Jewellery, they believe that the right jewellery articulates self-expression and that’s why they are committed to giving you, the Fair-goers, nothing short of your expectations, producing stunning designs from timeless daywear to bold and glamorous jewellery.

Desert Diamonds – Jewellery

Having lived in the Gulf over many decades and having enjoyed many Desert Diamonds pieces herself, Ayne-Marie Leitch thought this fabulous range which is the nearest to the natural carbon diamond with a stimulant rate of 8.5 on the MOSH scale of hardness (a carbon diamond rating being 10) would be wonderful to share with her friends and ladies in Sri Lanka when she returned to the island on a short holiday and had to do a 360-degree turnaround during that time to care for her mum. 

She had been very surprised to find that Desert Diamonds were not available in Sri Lanka and that no one had obtained the distributorship. “They are very popular in the Gulf with both locals and expatriates alike,” says Ayne-Marie. 

The Desert Diamonds Collection has been created for the contemporary woman; independent, stylish, and savvy, who enjoy wearing jewellery as a daily accessory on all occasions. Their positioning of luxury jewellery that is affordable means women everywhere have the ability to purchase by themselves for themselves. This, they genuinely believe, is ‘what women want’ and this, we certainly believe is “what all Fair-goers want” as well. 

 The Nutri Food Company – Healthy, nutritious, delicious, balls of raw fruits, nuts, seeds and superfoods

The Nutri Food Company believes that it’s your right to snack healthy! So they’ve taken on the responsibility to offer you healthy, nutritious, delicious, balls of raw fruits, nuts, seeds and superfoods made with 100% natural ingredients. These balls are fun and guilt-free that rejuvenate your mind and body. 

The three co-founders of this healthy snack have spent over 30 years in the UK and Australia where healthy snacks are in abundance. They recently returned to Sri Lanka and realised that the local market lacks a yummy, convenient, healthy, energy boosting snack. What they’ve produced can be enjoyed by young and old alike at any time of the day. 

All Fair-goers are invited to stock up on these fabulously healthy, delicious snacks. It is a handy on-the-go breakfast, a snack for the lunch box for school or work, before or after a work-out or sports, with a cuppa tea or coffee, on a picnic, a long car journey, or a pick-me-up when studying. The key focus of their products is that they are made with all natural ingredients, have no preservatives, are suitable for vegans, have no added sugar but are absolutely scrumptious, an unexpected bonus for such a healthy snack. 

Digital Ear – Sound equipment

A passion brought forth, Digital Ear provides services in audio and home theatre systems. Its products are award winning and world-renowned and are set up by a team experienced in international projects. The team at Digital Ear believe in going out of their way in order to understand the exact needs of their valued customers. They supply their clients the best products with a competitive price. Further they are in the process of educating potential consumers on the importance of high quality audio today.  Their brands have been carefully selected after much consideration, they provide equipment that will ensure musical enjoyment and also enrich lives. They offer a wide array of services from installation, system upgrades, system placement, advice and consultation. All this being necessary to get the most of your system. All Fair-goers are in for a treat as they will be able to test-run Digital Ear products for an unforgettable sound experience.

Due to the extremely high number of inquiries regarding stalls, The Sooriya Village is happy to announce many more Pop-Up-Outlet Fairs in the future to provide an opportunity to all such vendors to present their products to the market.