Exclusive workshops with Not Just A Label founder Steven Siegel at CFW 2013

The Great Colombo Fashion Company is set to present HSBC Colombo Fashion Week, now in its 10th year running, on 3, 4, 5 April 2013, featuring high profile designers from eight countries such as Radhika Hernandez, Agatha Ruiz de La Prada, Bibi Russell, and 28 others – both local and international – vying for recognition and critical acclaim.

In addition to the ramp events that steal much of the public’s attention, this not-for-profit annual event stays true to its vision of developing and uplifting Colombo’s fashion design industry through its envied behind-the-scenes mentoring process and workshops held for prodigies in the fashion field who are yet to make their mark. An opportunity made possible during HSBC Colombo Fashion Week’s by none other than its integral knowledge partner, the British Council.

British Council Sri Lanka, since coming on board as ‘knowledge partner,’ has supported HSBC Colombo Fashion Week by inviting leading UK fashion experts and designers to run interactive workshops and discussions for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs, fashion students and seasoned industry professionals, sharing their knowledge and experience. Celebrating and strengthening the sixth year of this knowledge-sharing partnership, the British Council continues to support HSBC Colombo Fashion Week and the development of Sri Lanka’s creative industries by identifying leading resource persons from the UK and the South Asia region.

In the last two years, the British Council invited Sally Denton, Director, The Trend Boutique UK in 2011 and young UK menswear designer William Richard Green, straight off the London Fashion Week 2012 ramp, dubbed by Selfridges as “one of 2012’s brightest young things” to run workshops  in Colombo during HSBC CFW.

This year in April, the British Council has invited Stefan Seigel, the Runner Up of the British Council’s Young Creative Entrepreneur (YCE) 2012 award and the founder of Not Just A Label, a leading designer platform for showcasing and nurturing today’s pioneers in contemporary fashion, set up by Stefan to infuse new life into the fashion industry.  NJAL (http://www.notjustalabel.com/) was quick to become an indispensable tool for the industry as it helped designers gain exposure and finance their progression independently by providing an easily accessible retailing forum via its online shop. Now with over 16 million hits per month, NJAL is an infinitely expanding destination devoted to facilitating growth in the fashion industry.

Building on his success, Stefan Siegel is set to share with Sri Lankan fashion entrepreneurs and its fashion industry the importance of successfully marketing themselves and their business something Stefan has successfully accomplished and has first-hand experience of, and will focus on during the workshops in Colombo.   Stefan Siegel studied Economics and gained experience in the fashion and media industry working for prestigious design houses and advertising agencies in the UK. Indulging in a brief but successful modelling career, appearing in campaigns and catwalk shows for Prada, Gucci, BMW, K-Swiss and Calvin Klein, Siegel worked on five continents before achieving his MA in International Business Administration in 2004.

He then dived right into the world of finance working for renowned companies such as Ernst & Young, Oppenheim in Switzerland and the Merrill Lynch M&A Investment Banking group in London. Siegel launched into a career in which he specialised in the consumer and retail sector, advising publicly listed fashion powerhouses for some years, before launching Not Just A Label.  

Registrations for the workshops can be made with Manisha Ruwanpathirana at the British Council, 49, Alfred House Gardens, Colombo 3 and will be at Rs. 500 per person. For more information contact her via [email protected] or 0114521542, or Prasanna Pathmanathan on 0775026865 or [email protected].