Creative exploration
Over the course of three days, the Sri Lanka Design Festival drew in aspiring artists, graphic and fashion designers, marketers and overall innovators to exhibitions, lectures and forums, motivating them to tap into and explore their creative minds.
Designing line-up: The guest speakers share their experiences. Pix by M.D. Nissanka
“Design Katha” presented by the Academy of Design held on December 5 was the perfect learning experience for the budding designer, entrepreneur and undergraduate. A host of internationally acclaimed fashion journalists, designers and educators comprised the line up of guest speakers who shared their ideas on contemporary design and personal stories that any young person in the field of design could relate to and learn from.
Patrick Gottelier
Offering his perspective on product and set design, Patrick Gottelier’s interesting career has seen him working for the BBC and M&S. “If you take bands from back in the 60s and the 70s they became iconic because of their set designs,” he explained, highlighting the importance of being practical and innovative at the same time. Contrary to popular misconception “set designers show people in their own right,” he smiles, “and have the important job of almost directing the bigger picture.” Although his illustrious career, he admits, got handed to him quite by chance, his success, he disclosed was through following one simple principle- “Always say yes, then figure out what to do afterward”.
Currently a Professor at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts in China, Patrick has only one piece of advice for his students. “Always be a nice person,” he thinks out loud, a phrase that many of the other speakers too would go on to echo. “I know it sounds cheesy but people won’t want to work with you if you aren’t.”
Embracing one’s cultural identity and “knocking off” each other, learning from each other is what Jane Rapley, OBE calls inspiration. When 
Jane was the Dean of Central Saint Martins (CSM), it was referred to as ‘the best design school in the world’. Its illustrious alumni include designers such as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Stella McCartney. Thinking back to her students, she tells us “On the whole you’re taking fairly young people who are still finding themselves.”
Going back to her beginnings “Some of us started out sewing at the kitchen table” – Jane is of the belief that everyone takes their own time to learn. “I 
don’t think me at 18 would have expected me at 30 or at 60,” she says. Advising aspiring designers, she emphasised the need to build networks, and placed a lot on a person’s temperament and attitude. “The process only starts in college,” she says expressively. A time of change and finding oneself, she always believes in having the same core while encouraging growth and change. Going back to the best piece of advice she was ever given, one comment she still hangs on to was made by a Professor of hers- “When you start off you need 90% talent and discipline and just 10% of everything else. But as you get older, it reverses.”
| Into the future with Lankan fashion With over 500 local and international professionals in apparel manufacturing, supply chain services, ethical fashion, retail brands and media, the Sri Lanka Design Festival’s ‘Fashion Innovation Runway 2014’ was a showcase of the success stories of using ‘design’ as the value addition in the apparel manufacturing industry. The Sri Lanka Design Festival’s 2014 show held on December 6 offered a preview into Sri Lanka’s brand-led future in fashion, bringing together the creative talent of the design studios of Brandix, MAS Holdings, Orient Design, Orit apparel, Star Garments etc. with supply chain experts like Coats, Rainwear and Colourzone. Local brands such as Red Cocoon, Prabath, Aqua Island, Nithya, Lonali, Rum Punch, LICC, Aviraté and Tarja along with the international brand George were part of the show – a display of fashion made in Sri Lanka. SLDF was held with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development, Export Development Board, Sri Lanka Tourism and Sri Lanka Apparel.
Hotel interiors: Thinking differently By Duvindi Illankoon  Chris Sanderson The final day of the Sri Lanka Design Festival opened with a forum on interior design focusing on the trends in hotel interiors. Guest speakers With a growth in the global travel market by 8% the need to step up the game is primary. “It’s no longer about the good coffee or the good bed “Chris added, which in turn challenges the designer to think differently. The morning’s key note speaker Jason Holley is a director of London-based Universal Design Studio, whose resume includes clients such as Google, Jimmy Choo and Saville Row. He made clear his opinions using an example of East London’s recently renovated Ace Hotel, which was handled by Universal Design Studios. Putting time into research and finding new angles to any building, hotel, etc is how Jason described his work method. “We see space as an opportunity for storytelling,” he said.  Jason Holley
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from Future Laboratories; Chris Sanderson and Martin Raymond emphasised contemporary interior designing where visual stimulus was being replaced by designers having to create an atmosphere that would satisfy all five senses. “People are spending less on luxury products and more on the luxury experience,” explained Martin, about the new ‘status experience’ that people prefer over status purchases.