Weaving together contemporary and classical
Batiks, Dumbara weaves and beeralu on the ramp. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
The Rachel Raj Foundation, along with the Industrial Development Board launched the inaugural Ceylon Heritage Festival on September 27 with a fashion show featuring traditional Sri Lankan textile crafts. Headed by Sarita Rajandran who is behind the luxury fashion label Rachel Raj, the Foundation collaborated with the Industrial Development Board to provide a greater platform for local artisans to increase productivity and improve the quality and design of the traditional craft industry.
The fashion show served as a platform for the label Heritage Hands, a brand supported by the Industrial Development Board that consists solely of Sri Lankan-crafted clothing and accessories made from traditional crafts such as dumbara weaving, beeralu lace, and batik as well as clothing made from bamboo fabric and upcycled denim.
Essentially a cruise couture line that weaves together contemporary and classical designs with traditional motifs and upcycled fabrics, emphasis is on the skill of the local artisans and the traditional crafts of the country. The design team includes students from the Art and Design Department of the University of Moratuwa as well as Rachel Raj designers.
The first segment of the fashion show featured beeralu lace and bamboo fabrics. The collection included cover-ups, co-ord sets, and breezy dresses and pants made from bamboo fabric with beeralu and crochet elements.
The second segment focused on dumbara handlooms, batik, and upcycled denim. The playful collection was made up of upcycled denim jumpsuits, dresses, and jackets with handmade embellishments, fluid batiks, and designs which featured dumbara weaving.
The third segment displayed the work of jewellery-maker and designer Mihiri Devendra whose brand Leap by Mihiri consists of wearable art made from scrap metal collected from Armour Street in Colombo, each piece manually cut, filed into shape, and embellished with copper and enamel.
The final segment saw evening wear featuring handloom silks woven with gold thread on the ramp in a celebration of tropical luxury.
The Heritage Hands label will be available at all Laksala showrooms with proceeds going toward supporting the community of artisans whose work was featured.
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