Expect the best from a star-studded fashion show
It’s not too often you find the fashion industry’s very best coming together for one show-but when they do, there’s no doubt you’ll want to be there. And that’s why on November 24 you just might find yourself heading over to the Galadari for Fashion Sri Lanka, a show which will feature over 15 of Sri Lanka’s designer royalty, all uniting for one very worthy cause.
Ramani: Presenting her own retro collection
Yolande Aluvihare, Sonali Dharmawardena and Michael Wijesuriya are just some amongst a collection of seasoned designers who will present their outlook for Spring/Summer 2014 at the show. “Expect the absolute best,” promises the show’s producer and choreographer Lou Ching Wong. Lou Ching certainly knows what he’s talking about-having produced and choreographed almost every show and pageant in the circuit. Several other top names will also unveil collections, including Ruchira Silva for Rebel, master batik craftsman Eric Suriyasena, Chryss Fernandopulle, Azlam Hussein of the Gee Bees Designer Studio, Senaka De Silva, Fouzul Hameed of Hameedias and for the first time, Ramani Fernando.
While most of us are quite familiar with Ramani’s signature hairdos at almost every Colombo fashion show, the veteran beautician has never been known to have her own collection on a ramp. This time she’s stepping out of her comfort zone driven purely by her love for all things 1930’s. Ramani is rather enamoured by the hairstyles of the time and says that the Gatsby-inspired craze for the era’s elegant, slinky brand of fashion is what she draws inspiration from.
Her decision to present a collection was out of necessity more than anything else; the other designers’ collections don’t really collate with her 30’s outlook so she’s decided to plunge in and experiment with what is known in fashion circles as a ‘full effect’. It’s actually not a fully home-grown collection, in that she’ll be getting down certain pieces from abroad and throwing them together with her own pieces commissioned locally, but the focus will naturally be on the headgear-or more accurately, the beautifully ornate hairpieces so resonant with that era.
Show’s producer and choreographer Lou Ching Wong
Of course, no show is complete without the obligatory sprinkling of celebrities- and at this show you’ll find Sri Lanka’s most potent star power on the ramp. The dashing gentlemen of the national cricket team-past and present-will exchange their customary blues for sarongs and shirts, all on behalf of the show’s cause.
The show is organised by the Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to raise funds for a training and simulation centre for care providers. This state of the art facility will impart organized, structured training for care providers with modern simulation equipment.
The move follows robust data that has revealed that hands-on training on handling obstetric emergencies can reduce maternal deaths. This training, routine in most developed countries, will help care providers manage emergencies more effectively and potentially save the life of a mother.
Tickets will be available at selected outlets from next week.