Watch out, here come the men!
Celebrating thirteen years, Colombo Fashion Week unveiled yet another innovation on the ramp last week. In its quest to up the ante and bring it in line with international fashion weeks, HSBC CFW dedicated a day to menswear, giving designers a chance to channel more creativity into a hitherto underplayed segment of fashion on the [...]
The Lankan who does politics the Australian way
Gowing up in Arukgoda, Panadura with his parents being ardent supporters of two mainstream political parties, young Chandra Daya Bamunusinghe was exposed to a daily dose of opposing political views. The Sri Lankan-born engineer is currently the Deputy Mayor of the Hume City Council in Victoria. Hume is one of the largest and fastest growing [...]
‘Flying Colours’ Hasini’s ray of hope
Young artist Hashini Himasha Chandrasiri’s maiden exhibition ‘Flying Colours’ is on at the Lionel Wendt Gallery today. An artist from childhood, she is also a cartoonist and children’s book illustrator. But what sets her apart from other blossoming talents is the fact that she suffers from a life-threatening illness and is hoping to raise funds [...]
Playing polo in a tuk tuk
Forget horses, forget elephants, the new way to play polo in Sri Lanka is in a TukTuk! Last weekend the Lakderana 2016 TukTuk Polo Tournament took place at Marine Walk football field outside Galle Fort with four local teams and four international teams competing for the winners’ prize of Rs. 200,000. Organised by Geoffrey Dobbs [...]
We the keepers of the “Mad dogs and Englishmen” traditions!
It was in early February, 1960 that I joined the good ‘ship’ Rangalla, firmly anchored in Diyatalawa. Three of us had been commissioned ‘Instructor Lieutenants’ a couple of weeks previously (a fourth was in the pipeline) and sent to find our sea-legs in the hills. A naval shore establishment is deemed a ‘ship’ for administrative [...]
Actors broke barriers and became symbols of history
The 18th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, International Theatre Festival held in Trivandrum, Kerala from February 9-14 became a paradise for theatre-goers to appreciate plays from different parts of the world. Participating from Sri Lanka was the play ‘Dear Children, Sincerely’ presented by Stages Theatre Group and directed by Ruwanthie de Chickera. After three successful days in [...]
In search of the soul of Sri Lanka
Iconic Sigiriya! Often when imbibing the wonders of this formidable but majestic rock fortress, we clamber up the rock, take in the frescoes, peer closely at the Mirror Wall, do a quick round of the summit, click numerous photographs and get back down and motor away to our next destination. Having visited Sigiriya and been [...]
Simplicity in life and art
Most artists crave success and recognition as they strive to make their mark on the world, but not so for the Sri Lankan artist Richard Gabriel who died this month in Melbourne, Australia. Gabriel was indifferent to fame and lived a life largely detached from materialism. He believed his life was guided by divine providence [...]
A day for friends and family
February, we all know, is the month for red roses and romance. The Capri Club in Colombo didn’t miss out when celebrating Valentine’s Day in style with a dinner dance for members and friends.
Another store for Kelly Felder
Kelly Felder launched their third store earlier this month at 345, Galle Road – Colombo 3. Spread over two floors, only the first floor is currently open to customers, with the second floor expected to open later in the year. Kelly Felder opened up their flagship store in Dharmapala Mawatha in 2010 before launching their [...]
Cakes and coffee in a vintage setting
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, Rukshi Nethicumara isn’t at Butter Boutique, watching her cakes fly out the door. Instead three times a week, Rukshi steps out from behind the counter of her new business to do some serious R&D – re-imagining what the menu should be in coming weeks. “If we do make something the [...]
Bringing up doggy
Most dog owners would agree that their dogs are part of the family. Our loyal, four-legged friends have a way of carving a special place in our hearts. However, one fundamental fact of dog ownership sometimes forgotten is that no one can expect a dog to behave and respond like a human would. Dogs need [...]
The Victorian lady traveller who painted Pera
A lady an explorer? A traveller in skirts? The notion’s just a trifle too seraphic: Let them stay and mind the babies, or hem our ragged shirts; But they mustn’t, can’t, and shan’t be geographic . . . – Punch magazine, 1893 Should you ever visit the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, on the outskirts [...]
A novel where parallel stories weave together convincingly
The elegant cover on Nanda Pethiyagoda’s debut novel, designed by her son Rajiv using Bo leaves to symbolise parallel lives, enticed me to reading it literally word to word. It captivated my interest and satisfied my curiosity from beginning to end. Parallel Lives was launched on Sunday, February 14. Nanda has used her writing skills [...]
Letters to the Editor
Shabby treatment at a grand hotel On February 9, my husband and I , his brother and wife, all Sri Lankans with the latter two living in Canada, went to the Thai Restaurant at a grand hotel in Nuwara Eliya, to have lunch. Five minutes into our sitting down and chit chatting, a waiter walks [...]
Appreciations
He could have gone anywhere but it was Colombo Hilton he called home Gamini Fernando January 26 was the 17th death anniversary of one of Sri Lanka’s top hoteliers. As a close friend and colleague, it is more than appropriate that I pen a few words to remind Sri Lankan hoteliers how much the late [...]
Enter the men
In the decade since its inception, the Colombo Fashion Week now the HSBC Colombo Fashion Week has without great fanfare established itself on the big stage. As CFW unveiled its 2016 edition there was excitement behind the scenes for the first ever dedicated Menswear segment of Colombo Fashion Week was to take the ramp on [...]
Fashion Week makes a splash on canvas
Colombo Fashion Week began this year on a very different beat. The prologue to Sri Lanka’s biggest fashion event saw the Land Rover Showroom down Flower Road transformed for the evening into an art gallery. CFW Frame was a clear celebration of the diversity of art. Set on either side of the showroom, the night’s [...]