Intimate inspiration

Inspiration can be many things: a burst of creativity, an idea out of the blue or the great result of a long, hard process. But one thing it always is: A fresh perspective. In the world of lingerie, inspiration comes with attention to detail, a passion for great design and a love of fashion. – Triumph Inspiration Award, official website.

Students from prestigious local design schools are vying for the Triumph Inspiration Award (TIA), a global design competition created by lingerie specialist Triumph International. The competition has students across the globe creating a showpiece set of lingerie – an under-wired bra and brief on the special theme of 'Female Fascination.'

The eight local finalists are now set for the first ever TIA national finals to be held on May 13, at the Galle Face Hotel. The event will also showcase the Triumph Collection for 2008/'09.

"The overall winner of the contest is selected by a panel of distinguished experts from the fields of design, fashion and media, and will be given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of competing on the global stage, at the TIA grand final to be held in Bejing, China, on July 31, featuring participants from over 70 design institutes/schools, spanning 26 countries," said Shalindra Fernando, General Manager Triumph International Lanka Pvt Ltd.

The winning product, will be manufactured and sold as a special limited edition, at select Triumph stores worldwide, and it will also be part of a specially decorated shop window celebrating the Award. The winner also receives a cash prize of Euros 15,000, with the second and third place winners receiving Euros 10,000 and 5,000, respectively, he added.

All the contestants at the Sri Lankan National Competition were given special training on lingerie design by the experts attached to Design Studios of MAS Holdings and a detailed factory tour to familiarise them with the rather complex lingerie production process, he added.

The semi-finals held recently showcased the work of nearly 30 students from the International Academy of Design and the Department of Fashion Technology of the University of Moratuwa. The judges included Nadeeka Leanage, Vanessa Hakel and Kaushalya Piyasiri from MAS Design Studios and Dharshi Keerthisena of Buddhi Bathiks.

Thanura Wanniarachchi (23), a third year student of the Bachelor of Design course in Fashion Design and Product Development at the University of Moratuwa, is one of the final eight. His concept revolves around classic cars. "Being a big enthusiast of classic cars myself, my thinking was that according to an average man's psyche, vehicles are only second in interest, to the subject of women. So, I thought if I could combine these two interests somehow, it would bring in a male perspective to the product," explained Thanura.

Using material such as plastic and metal in an attempt to depict the speed and motion of a 1960's or '70's classic car, his garment will also depict curvy shapes and sharp and vibrant colours such as red, black and silver, that were synonymous of that era.

"I've actually had this idea for quite a while, I just didn't have the opportunity to voice it. I'm not trying to objectify women via my designs but rather, to design the lingerie according to what a man would like to see on a woman," he said.

"My concept is more to do with women unleashing their hidden charm. I'm using a butterfly as I feel that it is one of the most attractive and sensitive insects, that grabs the attention of people very easily. I am utilizing wood and various types of batik fabric to bring out the diverse colours of the theme," said Dilanthika Hansini (21) also a third year design student from the University.

Achini T. Ranaweera (22), also from the Moratuwa University has coined the theme 'Eco-Feminism.' "I'm trying to draw a parallel between nature and the female form," she explains. "Just as nature is considered to be pure, graceful and beautiful, I feel that nature is also an embodiment of many a quality possessed by a woman. My overall outlook for the lingerie will be 'natural' coloured, with leaf motifs and straps resembling vines to further elaborate the theme. I hope to promote the idea of protecting the environment especially as it's for our own benefit," she emphasized.

"I thought up the concept 'War and Woman' as it's a common phenomenon, and having been plagued with it for the past 25 years or more now, it's nothing new to us at home either. I've observed that women are more vulnerable in war related situations than men are," explained K.V. Kamal Deshapriya (24), a design student, also from the University.

"I'm using some universally acknowledged symbols associated with war, such as army boots for the model and camouflage material for my garment. I'm also using silver and reflective colours beneath the camouflage material to represent the inner strength and intelligence of the woman and how she must utilize it to overcome her hardships," he added.

'Freedom,' is 21-year-old University design student Nilusha Weerakkody's theme, inspired by birds. "As birds enjoy flying around quite freely and as women too move around much more freely than before, I want to compare the two colourful and fascinating entities side by side," he explained. The garment itself will comprise essentially of authentic Sri Lankan batik fabric and feature the vibrant hues of the birds' feathers.

Asked how it feels to be a man designing lingerie, Nilusha said "A designer must be professional enough to be able to design anything and everything irrespective of the sex of the end user. Especially when dealing with such a profitable industry as intimates, it's just not feasible to restrict men from designing women's clothing and lingerie," he adds.

A second year Higher National Diploma student Yasintha Jayasekara (22) from the International Academy of Design (IAD) was one of 15 students selected to submit his concepts for the competition. "I initially thought it would be great to get some international exposure and widen my knowledge of the industry, as lingerie isn't on our regular schedule at class," he said.

"We were given a free hand to do as we pleased. There were no restrictions except that the bra had to have an under-wire." Under the theme 'Transformed Beauty,' Yasintha looked at Sri Lankan arts and crafts made of coconut shells etc., which symbolised how some women live their entire lives not realising their full worth, similar to the coconut which has numerous benefits which have been taken for granted.

A final year student of the IAD – Tharanga Udawatte (21) said her concept centres around the 'Modern Woman' and how all women love to be pampered, like with a day out at the spa or with an aromatherapy treatment. "I've decided on a 100% eco-friendly cotton half-cup bra and briefs titled 'Spice Up,' where the base of the design comprises fabric and the rest is embellished with Lankan spices. The scent of each spice is said to cure different ailments."

Dimuthu Sahabandu (23) also a final year student at IAD speaks of olden day ideals of female beauty and what it has become today. She chose the age-old Narilatha motif believed to have been a woman and flower growing alongside each other. "Not adhering to the culturally accepted ancient idealistic notions of having nice curves etc., is a direct sign of how things are changing. Nowadays, fashion magazines and the television dictate our appearance and not culture; therefore everyone goes after the same look. Some women today seem to have lost their sense of identity and through my concept I'm trying to show them the way back."

"I'm very impressed with the level of commitment and enthusiasm displayed by these students and judging by the quality of their work, it's quite obvious it's surely paid off. I'm confident that whoever wins this contest will be more than competitive in the international final," added Triumph GM, Shalindra Fernando.