Bold batik blows away billowy blues
By Purnima Pilapitiya
Day 3 of Colombo Fashion Week showcased organic, sustainable collections by designers dedicated to empowering and benefitting their communities through their work. Presented by Ceylon Tea, the designers at “Ethical Fashion Day” on March 17 maintained that clothing can be simple, comfortable and still uniquely captivating. The evening saw recurring shades of blues and soft pastels for both men and women in breezy cottons and linens, adding an overall relaxed vibe to the show at the Colombo Hilton while accessories and prints added an ethnic oomph to many of the collections.
Opening the show was that stalwart of the ethical fashion community Bibi Russell whose collection of soft, muted blues and greens was the start of a running colour theme for the night. Together with hand woven accesso- ries and slippers, the collection resonated with her Bangladeshi roots.
The Old Railway’s experimental new collection ‘Soup’ was literally inspired by a stained piece of clothing which heralded creations of layered, billowy cotton stained with natural fruit and vegetable dyes.
Young designer Rimzim Dadu also stayed within the cotton/ linen theme presenting smocks and ultra-feminine ensembles that were young, flirty and simply cute all at the same time, seamed together with cool, casual elegance.
Lankan brands Conscience and Colombo Jewellery Stores didn’t stray from the cool, soft colour palette for the evening. Conscience’s menswear included nips and tucks which made for contemporary masculine silhouettes while CJS manged to be trendy and bold with their glammed up time pieces and classic combinations of pearls.
Fouzul Hameed’s collection of casual to formal wear all in blue explored a softer, subtler side of masculinity.
Closing the show was Buddhi Batiks. The night’s most theatrical collection, the silk sarees, dresses and menswear was both show-stoppingly glamorous while staying true to Buddhi Batiks’ signature style and love for floral prints. Models billowed in Geisha inspired sarees and dresses while the unique batik prints added a contemporary edge to the showstopping finale.