LIMAK The LABEL
Ihave known Kamil Hewavitharane for many years. A fun loving good, humoured and kind person, Kamil is involved in the rag trade. He is very concious of his work and spends as much time as possible in his workplace. Kamil has decided to take the giant step of introducing his own label, finally giving in to his passion for design. Recently, I had a long chat with Kamil on his decision to move into design. Kamil has always loved designing but did not take it seriously until he showcased at Colombo Fashion Week where his creations were acknowledged as one of the best collections of the season.
When he was a young lad, Kamil’s interest had been in the hospitality trade and he had a short stint at the Reception in the Taj Samudra in Colombo. Since then, it has been nothing but pursuing his dreams in the clothing and fashion business.
Thinking back, he believes his biggest mistake was designing outfits for others at no cost. He felt that he was taken for granted and found himself being sought out for his opinions on design with absolutely no acknowledgement.
Kamil’s biggest fear had been raising the money to go into design followed by whether his design line would be accepted and purchased by the greater public.
Following world trends on social media and learning the do’s and don’ts of fashions, reading the latest international fashion magazines and watching the latest fashion shows is how Kamil keeps up to date on current fashion trends, colours, fabric etc. Knowing what the international trends are, Kamil feels, is how one can compete on an equal ground. He also feels that selling on-line is cost effective.
Kamil admires the work of
Eli Saab, Balmain and Valentino, for their different outlook. Kamil believe that a designer should work on their own designs, looking for inspiration from the masters of the field and keep their garments simple and well cut. The inside of your garment, must look as good as the exterior he says. A great joy for Kamil is seeing a person wearing an outfit designed by him. Kamil feels that the wearer of his label must be comfortable in it and feel exclusive and like a million dollars.
His friends and family have always backed him, whether it be a photo shoot or a fashion show. His friend, Nadira encouraged him to do a collection for this year. Nadira has been a great support to Kamil, making sure that his collection was a success.
Rhona Fernando is responsible for all the stitching and Mr. Onise have helped him to get to where he is today. Presently Kamil is concentrating on his clothes line. He is also looking into accessories, jewellery and shoes. Later he may diversify into another field. A special thank you to Brian who has always being a great support and encouragement to whatever he set
his mind on pursuing.
Kamil has always loved designing but did not take it seriously until he showcased at Colombo Fashion Week where his creations were acknowledged as one of the best collections of the season