CFW DAY-02

The marquee at the Taj Samudra Hotel provided the backdrop for Day 2 of Colombo Fashion Week. Opening the show was Amilani Perera who remains steadfast to her raison d'etre of empowering women through fashion. An advocate for marginalised women, Amilani’s collection was timely, especially as she showed on the eve of International Women’s Day. Part of her collection was in vibrant colours featuring flora and fauna. Her trademark whimsy was present throughout. Indian designer Manoviraj Khosla showcased a men’s and womenswear collection that had a distinctive ethnic look. The jackets that incorporated cut off jeans added an interesting dimension to his collection. Limak by Kamil used the Proteas flower as his inspiration and presented a collection of beautiful batiks. His usual silhouettes were elevated by deploying statement sleeves. Bangladeshi designer Afsana Ferdousi convinced me that there is someone to follow in the footsteps of Bangaledesh’s most famous fashion export, designer Bibi Russel. Ferdousi's colour palette of white was crisp, clean and on point. Her use of fabric embellishments enriched her collection.

Her “less is more” look made her collection a firm favourite of mine on the night. Closing the show was India’s most celebrated design duo Abraham and Thakore. Coming from India they are blessed with an unending choice of fabrics which they had utilised in their collection. Their monochromatic collection was complemented with the use of beadwork and embellishments. The use of laser cut fabric also added an interesting dimension to the collection.