Unveiling a lacy look
Pix by Anuradha Bandara
Lace as we know it can trace its roots back to the late 16th century, and the specifics of its origin are widely disputed by historians. The first city to begin producing lace is commonly believed to be Venice, but it wasn’t at least until the 18th century that French lace began to dominate the market, although it is also believed French lace might even have made an entrance only in the 19th century. An indisputable fact however, is that it has been a part of France ever since.
To celebrate this facet of fashion, his year’s French Spring Festival had a unique exhibition centred around this prized commodity.
The exhibition, titled ‘French lace – the story unfolds’, was presented by Mod’ Art International Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology. The French Spring is annually organised by the Embassy of France and the network of the Alliance Francaise in Sri Lanka. This event was open to the public from Saturday, June 18 to Friday, June 24. It showcased the designs of the students of the two organising institutions and was held at Mod’Art International, No 87, Horton Place, Colombo 07.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event, French Cultural Counsellor Michel Treutnaere commented that events like this are a great opportunity to highlight the creativity of Sri Lankan students. There were many items designed and created which ranged from trendy umbrellas, modern face veils with hats, lingerie, men’s shirts, ties, shoes and even mobile phone covers. Speaking at the event, Niroshani Leanage, Managing Director of Mod’Art stated that the theme for the French Spring Festival this year, and by default the exhibition, was Innovation and Creation. ‘As the only French fashion campus in Sri Lanka, Mod’Art International, together with the student designers of the Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology worked tirelessly with Noyon Lanka to recreate the use of lace in fashion with novel concepts, thereby giving it a totally new dimension,’ she said.
The lace for the exhibition was produced by Noyon Lanka. Six students were chosen by Michel Treutnaere and Shiraz Karunarathne for designs that were outstanding.
