Selyn Foundation presents ‘Craft to Empower’ at Ramp Up 2025

Wednesday, 17 September 2025 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

At Ramp Up 2025, hosted by Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce Sri Lanka (WCIC) on 9 September at Hilton Colombo, the Selyn Foundation — social impact arm of the Selyn brand — unveiled a collaboration with Sri Lanka’s Beeralu artisans through its flagship “Craft to Empower” program.

The showcase highlighted not only fashion, but also the powerful connections between heritage, innovation, and the women who sustain them.

The collection honoured two of Sri Lanka’s oldest craft traditions: handloom weaving and Beeralu lace making. Beeralu, a delicate form of weaving traditionally associated with homeware, was reimagined as contemporary wearable design. Selyn Foundation introduced removable Beeralu elements that can be styled with Selyn’s beautiful hand-woven sarees, offering versatility while keeping the essence of the craft intact. The collection emphasised timelessness over trends — creating pieces that remain relevant, evolve with the wearer, and bring heritage craft into everyday life.

A special feature of the WCIC Ramp Up event is that it features women from the corporate world — leaders, professionals, and entrepreneurs — rather than professional models. This intentional choice connected well with Selyn Foundation’s vision that fashion should be accessible, relatable, and real. Each garment was shaped through a process of listening, co-creating, and collaboration between artisans, designers, and the women who wore them, resulting in designs that were both stylish and practical.

‘Craft to Empower’ is one of the Selyn Foundation’s cornerstone programs, engaging Sri Lanka’s wider craft ecosystem — artisans, students, designers, entrepreneurs, and consumers — to both safeguard heritage and reimagine its relevance in today’s world. The initiative focuses on preserving and evolving traditional crafts, from Beeralu and handloom to other practices across the island, while also empowering artisans with fair livelihoods and dignity.

What emerged on the ramp was not simply a collection, but a vision of how craft, community, and creativity come together to create something enduring.

The Selyn Foundation believes that innovation is only meaningful when it is sustainable and inclusive. Design, at its best, opens doors for artisans, protects traditions, and delivers pieces that people genuinely want to wear. Designing for real women and real lives creates not only clothing but also demand — and with that demand comes the security of livelihoods for artisan communities.