Arts

Turning heads while taking a dip

By Tera Jayewardene

Swim Week Colombo Luxury Resortwear Edition Day 2

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Taking place at the Shangri-La Hotel Ballroom in a very different atmosphere to the previous night, Day Two of Swim Week was buzzing with excitement as Colombo Fashion Week founder Ajai Vir Singh’s brand Pigeon Island would be unveiled. Also hotly anticipated was the international brand Hot-As-Hell presenting their collection for the first time at Fashion Week. The ballroom was packed to the brim with Colombo’s fashion elite waiting to see the new collections.

HAH

The night opened with the Emerging Designers Anushika Perera, Udaya Wickramasinghe and Nayani Fernando presenting their collections. The other local designers featured were wellknown names– Aviva, Conscience, Sonali Dharmawardena, Meraki and Aqua Island.

Making his debut at Fashion Week, Udaya’s collection primarily in shades of blue was beautifully crafted. The use of crochet gave the pieces a textured feel. Black was used to accent the design. “This was my first time showcasing as an Emerging Designer and it was a great experience for me. I received a lot of great feedback on the work that I did with coastal craft communities to create craft by hand like batik and crochet,”Udaya told the Sunday Times Magazine.

Ajay Vir Singh showcased his brand Pigeon Island for the first time with a collection aimed at saving the Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtle species as well as Black Tip and Grey Reef Sharks found in the seas around Pigeon Island. A portion of the profits made will be going towards conservation, to save these endangered species.

Also presenting a head turning collection was Meraki designer Sharmila Ruberu with a very goth emo vibe in velvet lined deep colours, with rich reds and rustic shades spelling luxury. Sheer wraps highlighted the velvety reds making a bold statement on the ramp.

Aqua Island showcased action-based swimwear that could be worn while surfing, snorkelling, sailing as well as for other water sports. Each piece was impeccably crafted with beautiful designs and patterns, Macramé added to give certain pieces a little bit extra.

Taking the final spot at Swim Week Colombo was HAH aka Hot – As- Hell with their collection made of gauzy net fabrics and soft beautiful colours. This is the first time that HAH has showcased in Sri Lanka, and as they are currently showcasing in Miami, they flew in with just three members of their team. “I have been wanting to come to Sri Lanka for some time as our products are all made here,” said HAH’s Sharleen Ernster.

It was a truly spectacular end to a fantastic Swim Week.