‘Luxury’ by CFW aims to facilitate upcoming Sri Lankan fashion designers

From left: Colombo Jewellery Stores CEO Akram Cassim, Nations Trust Bank Chief Marketing Officer Sanjaya Senarath, Colombo Fashion Week Founder and Managing Director Ajai V. Singh, Galle Face Hotel GM Daniel Grau, Ramani Fernando Salons Founder Ramani Fernando and Vision Care GM Harsha Maduranga at the press conference – Pic by Upul Abayasekara 

By Zahida Rizvi

Colombo Fashion Week (CFW), a semi-annual fashion show created to support Sri Lanka’s fashion design sector, is going a step further by showcasing and enhancing the craftsmanship in the fashion business with its ‘Luxury Edition’ on 17 November at the Galle Face Hotel.

CFW Managing Director Ajai Vir Singh revealed that the Luxury Edition aims to increase concentration on a designer’s craft, take their design label up the luxury ladder, and create a distinctive brand for Sri Lankan designers while exploring prospects in generating high-value design products at a time when the fundamentals are being tested. “At CFW we have experimented and explored constantly to lift the fashion design industry of Sri Lanka and come out with sustainable solutions. This form of luxury is not only relevant but also sustainable and will encourage enhanced design entrepreneurship. Next year, we celebrate 20 years of CFW, a development organisation. The philosophy and culture we have fostered is sustainable, developmental, and progressive while being inclusive. I am confident this unique edition will infuse new energy and positivity into the design industry as we approach the season. I am excited to see the new collections,” Vir Singh added.

The ‘Luxury Edition’ event will bring forth the importance of craftsmanship in sustainable and responsible luxury products for local and international markets and looks forward to broadening the perspective of Sri Lankan design entrepreneurs to create high-value design products.

Additionally, with a focus on luxury and wedding attire, this one-day edition will highlight Sri Lanka’s fashion design skills and foster a favourable atmosphere for the creative and design sector at this time. It will further include segments on luxury, special occasions, and bridal trousseau.

The event hosts eight designers who will present the collections that they have made using the aforementioned thought process and design thinking and the designers displaying their seasonal collections will range from Darshi Keerthisena of Buddhi Batiks, Charini Suriyage, Sonali Dharmawardena, Fouzul Hameed, Aslam Hussain, Lovi Ceylon, Dinushi Pamanuwa, and many other prominent designers.

Host hotel Galle Face Hotel General Manager Daniel Grau said the Luxury Edition by CFW will be a single-day affair which will include the main Luxury Edition fashion show, followed by an after-party at FireBeach.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to partner up with Ajai Singh and the Colombo Fashion Week team once more,” he said, adding, “The event promises to be glamorous and fun and we are very much looking forward to it.”

CFW initially began the cooperation with the National Craft Council of Sri Lanka in order to encourage craftspeople to enter the mainstream of fashion by exposing them to hand-picked fashion designers and international crafts experts.

Other collaborative partners include Nations Trust Bank-American Express and Colombo Jewellery, Juniper, Ramani Fernando Salons, TRESemme, Vision Care, Wijeya Newspapers Ltd., Emerging Media and HardTalk.