Turning the spotlight on handloom

In celebration of International Handloom Day which falls on August 7, Selyn, the only Fair-trade certified handloom exporter will have a week of activities and premium offers online and at their Fife Road flagship store in Colombo 5.

The importance of Handloom Week is to bring awareness to the local and international community about an artisanal skill that holds relevance in today's world, including in the billion-dollar global fashion industry.

“Handloom Week is initiated as an important event to highlight and bring awareness to a core sector in the craft industry of Sri Lanka and to also highlight its potential as a premium export from the country. This year is special for us as we celebrate 30 years as an organisation that has effectively contributed to the upliftment of the industry and has positively impacted the artisan community by committing to consistent work and sustainable livelihoods. In addition, we are pleased to have been recently awarded a prestigious grant which will enable us to propel the industry into the world with transparency and ethical practices at the core of it,” says Selyna Peiris, Selyn’s Business Development Director.

Apart from the activities and offers, which includes live sessions with designers Lonali Rodrigo and VajiraPeiris, Selyn will conduct a series of discussions with global industry leaders on the future of the sector.

The first discussion on August  5 at 7.30 pm, hosted on Selyn’s Instagram as a live session will be looking at ''Global Trends: From Craft and Heritage'' with panelists Rue Kothari, a London-based design expert and Ruwandika Senanayake, a Senior Lecturer on Design at the University of Moratuwa.

On the August 7 at 7.30 pm, another discussion on "Craft as the "Sustainable" Solution, Model and Area of Growth: An International Perspective from SAARC to the World" will have Bangladeshi ambassador to the Netherlands and former ambassador to Sri Lanka and an advocate on craft and textiles from the SAARC region M. Riaz Hamidullah talking with Patrick Duffy, founder of the Global Fashion Exchange, a globally recognised agency for positive impact in the USA.

Selyna Peiris of Selyn will join these conversations and the panelists will discuss the balance between scalability, sustainability and conscious consumption. These conversations will be moderated by Professor Robert V Meeder, co-founder of the Institute of Future Creations, who has a great understanding of the craft and the design world.

“I am honoured to practise and moderate a very timely discussion on heritage and craft both in Sri Lanka and aboard. We have some outstanding speakers that will share their insights but also shed light on the opportunities and obstacles along the way into really developing the craft sector for export,” says Professor Meeder.

Dating back 2500 years, the tradition of the loom takes its roots at the very inception of Sri Lankan history. Today the industry faces decline due to reasons ranging from an ageing labour force, lack of skilled experience, uncompetitive market prices, to outdated designs and lack of innovation and technology.

Visit Selyn Fife Road Colombo 5 from August 7 - 10 to participate and see also@selynfairtade and www.selyn.lk for more updates.