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Off
the ramp The students were asked to look for inspiration, from varied sources including buildings, furniture and vintage cars. It was quite clear that the collection reflected the personality and individuality of the designers. Some students had opted to design casual wear while others chose evening wear. A few had decided to push the limits of wearable clothing to the extreme. What was amazing was that ‘vintage cars’ had inspired many students. ‘Sporty Vintage’, the sportswear collection by Granville Norton saw designs that were created with an intention of bringing back the ‘old moods’ in sportswear for which vintage cars were the inspiration. Liome Abeysinghe, another designer inspired by vintage cars, displayed a collection of elegant outfits which resembled the ’70s and the ’80s look. Furniture had also inspired fashion. Ruwani De Sylva’s collection revealed casual wear that was hip and spirited. Keen on making designs using geometrical shapes and lines, she says this aspect gives uniqueness to her designs and adds fullness to her collection. To highlight this she had used basic colours such as black, beige and white. Lasna Rahamathullah’s collection, which saw the use of raw silks and chiffons in shades of grey and light purple, had a sense of elegance to it. She feels that the carvings, curves and textures in furniture could translate very well into her designs; hence her inspiration came from furniture. ‘Sleek and Elegant’, Unanga De Sylva’s collection was also inspired by furniture. Her designs had the layered effects that are seen on furniture. Modern buildings had inspired some designers. Sulakshini Hewakapuge unveiled her sportswear collection, which had been inspired not only from the physical outlook of modern buildings but also from the texture and sculpture of a building. She has made her creations more fashionable by adding prints and using knitted and woven fabrics together. Trendy and funky was the interpretation of a concrete world turning into a trendy casual collection by Jayathika Fernando’s designs, which used denim and organdy with sparkling highlights. Even the flamboyant and creatively energised world of fashion is not without its touch of reality. Just like each design had a concept behind it, for most of these designers, their designing process had to take into consideration that their designs had to be mass producible and cost effective to suit their selected target market. Trendy designs and wearable, affordable outfits – it certainly was quite a show.
Not merely a hobby Starting off in 2001 as the New York School of Visual Arts, it later changed its name to The Academy of Design. “We wanted to bring out designing as a educational discipline,” says Managing Director Linda Speldewinde. The young designers who enter the academy have to first sit for an entrance examination. The academy hopes to ascertain by this, whether the student wants to take up design seriously or is merely as a hobby, which is not what the school promotes. Starting off with just 23 students they now have 98 students. “All the fashion designing students get job opportunities in the apparel industry,” says Linda Speldewinde confirming that fashion designing can be a profession. These young designers are sought after by the industry because of their knowledge in designing. At the academy, the students learn to find inspiration from just about anything to adorn personalities. The curriculum also approaches every aspect of apparel from concept to final design through production to point of sale. Linda, who hopes to introduce other pathways for design in the future, says, “We want to highlight what designing is all about. The consumer should always be in your mind, and whether the design can be mass produced must be considered.” Designing didn’t catch on sooner in Sri Lanka because of the lack of oppurtunities and not because of lack of talent. What is needed is the space for designers to make their mark in the world of fashion. |
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It
was a ramp show that unveiled the final collection by the students
of the Academy of Design, which saw on the night of January 17,
the culmination of months of hard work. And the result – designs
that showed creativity and a fresh approach to fashion. 
‘Jazzed
Vintage’, Arjuna Hettikankanam’s designs unveiled the
classical lines of vintage architecture in carefully placed cuts,
folds and pleats. Constructed using materials that fit well, his
use of the colours blue and white was appropriate. For his evening
wear collection he combined classical architectural shapes with
modern material. 
Flimsy
and daring… are the best words that come to mind about Marsha
Mascarenha’s collection. Her collection based on antique furniture
saw her using fabric with a finish. As she puts it, the final three
outfits, which are very different to each other, were designed by
her for the young woman who would like to go out and have fun. 