Innovation and style
View(s):- Drawing inspiration from diverse sources, graduates of AOD show their flair at the Design Festival that ends today
By Dilushi Wijesinghe
- Drawing inspiration from diverse sources, graduates of AOD show their flair at the Design Festival that ends today
Chief Guests that evening, Country Director of the British Council in Sri Lanka Orlando Edwards along with Founder and Chairperson of AOD Linda Speldewinde officially declared the event open.
Addressing the students, guests and media, Ms. Speldewinde congratulated the batch of 2023, which she called the “crazy batch of students who have gone through some crazy times.”
Ms. Speldewinde commended the students on their success as they strived through the global pandemic, lockdowns and the economic crisis to launch each individual brand.
“’Crazy’ is a complement in our space; the design and innovation space,” she smiled.
“Since the time I founded AOD, one thing I’ve tried to keep true is the entrepreneurial spirit of AOD with our students,” she added.
Mr. Edwards in his address made note of AOD’s international affiliations. “The strength of AOD and Northumbria University’s joint programme lies in its diversity. You are now skilled and ready to compete,” he said, leaving the students with a note of encouragement.
An award ceremony saw the best performing students being acknowledged with certificates presented by former Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, David McKinnon, Director of International Partnerships for AOD, Victoria Walker, Co-founder of Spa Ceylon, Shalin Balasuriya, Vice President of Dentsu Grant Group, Laila Martenstyn, Design and Product Development Manager at Brandix Lingerie, Jessica Mitchell, artist Fabienne Francotte and Director of the Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka, Stefan Winkler.
Showcased at the exhibition was a display of innovation and style, the students presenting collections using material varying from fish leather, to recycled polyester PET bottles, to photochromic and thermochromic textile and even scuba fabric made from polyester and high-stretch spandex and moscrepe.
Sandali Fernando’s collection “Beyond the waves” drew inspiration from ocean waves, incorporating material such as fish leather, fish bones and fish scales. “As a fashion student, I believe one’s designs should be sustainable, so I wanted to use ocean waste and design something very unique,” Sandali says.
She is one of the many whose collections were showcased at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Runways (MBFR) better known as the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka (MBFWSL).
Sonali Ferdinands draws her inspiration from the trends of the 1800s. Her collection features photochromic and thermochromic textile that possess the ability to change colour when exposed to heat.
“The main thing is to keep an open mind about anything because I feel that anything we experience in our lives can lead to inspiration, so you just have to keep an open mind about every single interaction,” Sonali said.
Januki Karunanayaka’s collection was inspired by her cousin who is differently abled. “WeFit is a print that my cousin brother made. He is autistic. He made all the mark makings, and I converted them into digital prints,” she says.
“What I’ve noticed is that there are a lot of people who don’t know a lot about autism, so my main intention from this collection was to spread awareness that it’s okay to be different, and society will accept you for who you are,” she said.
The glimmering collection of Natasha Liyanage draws from Western power dressing and Indian sarees, incorporating rhinestones which she explains are diamante with her base material scuba.
Vishmi Narthana’s unisex denim collection caters to a wide consumer base, highlighting the different ways denim can be incorporated into style. Other collections too brought out diverse facets that would get viewers thinking.
The Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) at the Colombo Innovation Tower is on today, December 3, from 10 a.m to 5 p.m.
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