The International Young Fashion Entrepreneur (IYFE) 2009 award is a British Council initiative in partnership with Sri Lanka Telecom that seeks to champion and celebrate the importance of creative entrepreneurs in the 25 to 35 age category working in the field of fashion.

Linda Speldewinde was announced as the National winner of the 2009 award and went on to compete for the International title in the UK in February 2009. She had the opportunity to experience and network with the UK fashion industry at the highest level while competing against eight other National winners from Brazil, India, Indonesia, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tunisia and Vietnam. During their visit to the UK, the 9 finalists immersed themselves in the UK fashion industry and were introduced by the British Council to fashion icons and exemplary initiatives in London and Nottingham.

At the awards ceremony in London Linda received the International Jury's special commendation for "changing society through fashion education". "Linda is inspirational; such is her commitment and passion. She has clearly identified the challenges in Sri Lanka's transition from a manufacturing to knowledge economy and the impact of her work, by creating the opportunity for access to learning and information, is already evident." - International jury, February 2009, UK.

In 2000, having identified the lack of fashion and textiles education courses in Sri Lanka, Linda founded the Academy of Design, a pioneering venture to provide undergraduate education in fashion. The Academy aims to promote design as both a serious educational discipline and a dynamic profession in Sri Lanka.

She also founded Peshakala, a project which aims to revive the use of indigenous textiles in Sri Lanka and engage young designers with craft communities in villages, a crucial project in a country where there is such economic disparity between the urban and the rural. To highlight the important contribution which design makes to the cultural and economic life of Sri Lanka Linda established Colombo's inaugural Design Week in 2008.

Speaking about her participation in the award, Linda explained "It was excellent exposure and a network building exercise at the highest levels of the UK fashion industry including opportunities to attend fashion shows during the London Fashion Week, where I met some of the most amazing people who were passionate about helping me develop my ideas into projects in Sri Lanka.

There is so much I can do for the Creative industries in Sri Lanka as a result of this visit and I am ever so thankful to the British Council and Sri Lanka Telecom for this award and their commitment to supporting fashion entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. Now my objective is to see how I can translate all these ideas and the interest I have generated in the UK to build the creative industries here, with buy-in from both the government and other key stakeholders. My main focus since my return from the UK is on planning the 'Colombo Design Festival' in November 2009, the follow up to AOD Design week 2008."

The IYFE 09 award went to Indonesia's Oscar Lawalata as the judges felt that his approach "was a model of best practice, which presents opportunity for the fashion sector in many emerging economies."
Sri Lanka Telecom is the project partner for the International Young Fashion Entrepreneur (IYFE) award 2009 and the electronic media sponsors are Channel 1 MTV and YES FM.

For more information on the award pleasevisit www.britishcouncil.org/srilanka-arts-and-culture-iyfe09