Sleek cocktail dresses with a splash of colour, pleated pencil line skirts and vibrant shirts for men. The new designer label launched in Colombo, Niro & Nelo is essentially for those who look for colour, style and a touch of class. The designs are available at the LIFT Designer wear boutique launched by sisters Niroshani and Neloni Leagage.
With a designer label named after them, Niroshani designs the exclusive clothing line and her younger sister Neloni heads production and sales. Fashion and design running in the family, their mother, Roshani Leanage is the chairperson of Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology (Lift), where Niroshani is the managing director.
The boutique was the brainchild of Niroshani, who was looking for a way to help her students by giving them a foot into the fashion industry. Graduating as a designer and being the cream of the crop, doesn’t necessarily secure your career as a designer. Although, while Niro & Nelo was launched essentially to facilitate the careers of the up and coming designers from LIFT, Niroshani discovered that the opportunity also allowed her to explore her talent at designing as well.
The boutique has been open for a week and Niroshani says she’s surprised by the number of customers who have walked through their doors. “I didn’t expect such a crowd,” she explains, adding “it’s quite interesting watching people buying my designs. It makes me happy to see people appreciate my designs.”
Speaking about her designs she says “I look into classic pieces. I want people to feel they are wearing something creative; that they can express themselves through what they wear.”
Describing how the boutique and label help her students, Niroshani says that they have three choices. “They can come up with their own brands which I would promote, they can be designers [for the Niro & Nelo label] or they can join the team [as assistant designers].”
While her sister designs the clothes, Neloni handles the productions, sales and the running of the boutique. Commenting about the concept of helping enter the fashion industry, Neloni says “the boutique is an example for the LIFT students. Not everyone gets the opportunity to have their own boutique as it is a very expensive process. At the LIFT boutique, young designers will be given a rack at the store so they can showcase their work.”
Currently there are three assistant designers from the institute who work with Niroshani’s designs for the Niro & Nelo label.
Guests at the opening were treated to dance performances at which the Niro & Nelon designs were show-cased, having done away with the traditional catwalk-modelling. To check out the new label, the store is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday, at 87, Horton Place, Colombo 7. |
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