Youth to the fore, come Colombo Fashion Week

The first bugle call has sounded for all fashionistas. The HSBC Colombo Fashion Week (HSBC CFW) will hit the ramp on April 3, 4 and 5 at the Hilton Colombo Grand Ballroom, celebrating the 10th year since inception.

“This is a marketing platform for Sri Lankan fashion designers overseas,” said president HSBC CFW, Ajai V. Singh. “This year, our focus is mainly centred on youth and it will be a special opportunity for our young designers to showcase their talents among senior and foreign designers.”

There are 26 designers featured in the show this year. Local designers Arugam Bay, Amanda Weerasinghe, Amilani Perera, Arra, Avirate, Buddhi Batiks, Charini Suriyage, Fahad Sheriff, Sonali Dharmawardena, Gihan Ediriweera, Upeksha Hager, Hameedia, Kasuni Ratnayake, Ramona Oshini, Yoland Aluwihare and two Gen-Next Award winners Dimuthu Sahabandu and Deneth Piumkashi will present their collections alongside foreign designers Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Bibi Russell, Jason and Anshu, Juan Duyos, Nish de Gruiter, Ashikur Rahman Pony, Turquoise & Gold, Radheika Hernandez, and Rizwan Beig.

Of special interest will be two young Lankan designers who are making a mark overseas namely Nishantha de Gruiter whose label ‘Suitsupply’ has been on Wall Street for the last two years and Radhika Perera-Hernandez, creator of the brand ‘Lois London’. GQ’s (Guys’ Quarterly a men’s magazine) favourite Nish partners ‘Suitsupply’, one of Europe’s trendiest clothing stores for gentlemen that’s ventur- ing into American markets while British born Radhika Perera-Hernandez, is becoming known for mesmerising kaftans and swimwear.

There will also be two workshops targeting fashion students and academics, aspiring designers, design entrepreneurs, fashion marketers and promoters organized by the British Council on April 4 and 5. The first day will focus on the international outlook of fashion designers and the second day will look at how to build a world class fashion brand. The facilitator is Stefan Siegel, founder and CEO of ‘Not Just A Label’ (NJAL).

Many of the sponsors will be providing exclusive offers- a pendant given every day to a lucky diner by Colombo Jewellery Stores and Hilton Colombo providing exciting food and beverage offers throughout the three days of CFW.