Celebrating creativity and innovation
Founder and President of the Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) Ajai Vir Singh has a lot to be excited about, with less than a week before Sri Lanka’s
premier fashion platform takes the runway on March 12, 13 and 14.
“We’re looking forward to the biggest CFW to date, especially since we’re embarking on a new focus pushing the retail and commercial aspect. We’re profiling Sri Lankan designers in key markets and overall all the aspects are coming together well. We’re very excited,” he says.
Gracing the three-day event will be designers from India and Sri Lanka who have come to find a home in CFW. Alongside icons such as Bangladesh’s Bibi Russell and Sri Lanka’s own Yoland Aluwihare and other CFW favourites, the event will also welcome first timers to CFW from both home and abroad.
Since his debut collection back in 2007 Atsu Sekhose has continuously executed his vision of India on the red carpet. A first timer at CFW, Atsu is a product of the National Institute of Fashion (NIFT) New Delhi. An ardent admirer of old Hollywood glamour, his gowns and dresses have adorned the cover of magazines such as ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar and Femina, along with the Miss India stages in 2011 and 2012.
Kallol Datta: The designer (centre) and his models on the ramp (top)
Many might see in his dresses, glints of Oscar De La Renta and Marchessa, designers who dominate the red carpet. But Atsu manages to keep to his vision while bringing his ideas closer to home. He consciously highlights the ethnic crafts and textiles with intricate embroidery and the bold colours that echo his beloved homeland; Nagaland and its neighbouring states. An obvious choice for many an Asian and Middle Eastern starlet; his patrons include actresses such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif.
Peronie Nadine Stefel’s fresh and feminine styles
Indian fashion media has an interesting way of captioning Kallol Datta. The ‘Prince of Prints’ or ‘enfant terrible’ as he has been popularly described is new to CFW but hardly a stranger to the haute couture scene of India. A regular at Fashion Week India, Kallol launched his brand, Kallol Datta 1955 in 2008. He was educated at the National Institute of Fashion Technology and received a womenswear degree from Central St. Martins, London.
Since then, Kallol has been a force to reckon with. The first Indian clothing designer to show at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Berlin in 2012 he has also been awarded a place on Elle’s ‘Power List’, 2013 and DNA’s ‘Achievers of the Year, 2012’. A style that is grungy, ethnic and often Goth inspired, his work is bound to induce a double take.
11.11 offer their clientele a mediator of sorts in every piece of clothing. Ideal for any time for the day, the designers behind CellDSGN Pvt. Ltd’s label 11.11, hopes to navigate you safely across the thin line of being over/ under dressed. Elegant yet breezy, the concept is spearheaded by entrepreneurs Shani Himanshu, Smita Singh and Mia Morikawa ; Fashion Design, Leather Design & Graphic Design graduates.
They focus on a networking system of farmers, weavers, vegetable dying and block printing traditions. The result: a luxury, yet ethically created garment that ensures the sustainability of local strengths.
Like many a designer, Lars Andersson draws inspiration from his roots. Hailing from Sweden, Lars is unapologetic about the cold, damp and dark environment that plays a powerful role in his design vision. Describing his homeland as “the furthest thing from fancy”, the New York based knitwear designer infuses elements of the minimalist environment, the haunting mossy forests of his country.
Swedish designer Lars Andersson and his creations (above)
His collection for CFW will include hand knitted pieces created using Japanese and Italian yarn. A contemporary, cool designer, look out for his signature scoop and cowl necked dresses.
CFW’s newest local designer is Peronie Nadine Stefel who first entered the Bright Spark Show at the HSBC CFW Resort Wear Show in 2014, winning the first CFW Fashion Design Fund award. Fresh from her experience, she has wasted no time in launching her label, Stefe, which sits patiently in the wings.
The CFW team continues to make bigger strides in its mission to bring together designers, entrepreneurs and the fashion-loving public onto a single platform. 2015 is no different. Maintaining its core within its concept of fashion, CFW will also celebrate creativity and innovation; from the culinary artistry put forward by its partner restaurants to the pop-up stores offering the public a more personal experience of Fashion Week. The pop-up stores will be open to the public on March 12, 13, 14 from 10 a.m. onwards. Entrance will be free until the commencement time of the shows.
(For more on CFW –see ST Magazine-pages 2 and 3)
Sunsilk’s hair extravaganza
Leading haircare and shampoo brand Sunsilk has signed up as the Beauty partner of the 12th Colombo Fashion Week.
Hairstyles are a defining factor in a fashion statement, and Sunsilk’s hair extravaganza at CFW is billed to intrigue and wow guests as they step on the unique Black Carpet to experience a walk down memory lane in a celebration of hair – the signature looks through the decades, from the 1920s, when women started to bob, shingle and crop their hair to the 1960s’ pixie cuts and the flowing locks of the 70s.
Designs by Atsu Sekhose