Linda Speldewinde

WHAT IS INNOVATION ISLAND

‘Innovation Island’ is an international campaign conceptualised by AOD and will unfold with Mercedes-benz Fashion Week this year. Through ‘Innovation Island’ Sri Lanka is presenting a fantastic business proposition to the world. It’s coming from a powerful business ecosystem where human creativity, ideas, intellectual property, commerce and technology are in constant interplay. And, at the heart of this proposition is Aod—the creative force. AOD has spent 15 years facilitating and advocating Sri Lanka’s unique role as the regional creative hub and through ‘Innovation Island’ international campaign Sri Lanka will now invite the world to make business here. AOD will be unveiling the campaign with the 2018 editions of Mercedes-benz Fashion Week, where nearly hundred delegates from around the world gather to engage with Sri Lanka— South Asia’s ‘Innovation Island’.

WHY DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS CONCEPT

Over the years we have been creating our own proposition to strategically put Sri Lanka on the global map. We are building international networks and this will be further elevated at this year’s event. With leaders in apparel, automobile, hospitality and tourism industries collaborating with AOD, Lankan creative industries send out powerful global messages at the Mercedes-benz Fashion Week and Sri Lanka Design Festival.

WHAT ROLE DOES MBFW SRI LANKA PLAY IN INNOVATION ISLAND

Mercedes-benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka is an international fashion week which takes place in Sri Lanka and is managed by a global chain. This gives us a global leverage to push innovation in design. Our runways, our forums, our collaborations and the eco-system we have created around this event is helping Sri Lanka to be on the global map.

AOD HAS MANY INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS. WHAT HAS BEEN THEIR RESPONSE TO INNOVATION ISLAND

I have been travelling a lot this year, working on bringing this amazing world of design and innovation to Sri Lanka to create the next version of design innovation to Sri Lanka. This year we will have a large delegation here both on and off the runways.