Swim Week Colombo draws to a close

The models took to a ramp in the shape of an anchor which overlooked the Beira Lake (at the Hilton poolside) in apparent ease for the second and final day of Swim Week Colombo.

In its third edition, the focus was on the main theme ‘Green Conscious and Earth Sensitive’ – aiming to bring in eco-friendly practices to the fashion industry even more strongly this year.

Aviva by Prasad Bidapa featured two collections – one in pink and the other in black – with the similar designs repeated in both colours. The pink collection had a floral, airy feel while the black versions were had a slightly more chic and had an elegant appearance.

Stefel by Peronie Stefel featured modern batiks which were colorful and had a sophisticated air to them. The collection also featured bags and dresses for resort wear. Some of the batik designs were quite interesting as they did not look as if they were batik.

Ajay Kumar’s collection left the audience feeling somewhat uncertain of the theme of the event as the models walked in wearing dresses and coats. A brand which began with menswear and started featuring womenswear much later on, the men’s designs were much bolder than those which their female counterparts were modeling. The retro theme of the collection was quite interesting.

Aqua Island by Linea Aqua featured many colourful, beach-friendly designs which were completed by the floral wreaths sported by the models. The designs were quite tasteful and looked like they could even be worn in everyday life.

Buddhi Batiks by Darshi Keerthisena de Livera featured designs which had a stronger feeling of being batik than those of Stefel’s collection, although even here, a few designs in the collection did not look like batik. The models first took to the stage to ‘How far I’ll go’ - the theme song of famous Disney movie ‘Moana’. Next up were the sportswear designs which were shown to the moving and faster beats of Queen’s popular hit ‘Under pressure’.

Tropical by Spa Ceylon took the stage with modern Oriental Music. Standing in front of the lake and striding to the beats of the wannama wearing elegant resort wear, the models almost looked like they were about to take a dip in a pool. The designs mostly derived from Sri Lankan heritage, albeit with a modern twist.

Conscience by (founder of Swim Week) Ajai Vir Singh featured a first collection in grey and a second collection in green and grey, and the minimalist design had a modern and trendy appearance to them. Speaking at the event, Ajai was quick to point out, that ‘it's not just pretty girls walking around’ when it comes to Swim Week Colombo because they are attempting to promote eco-friendly resort wear which lessens its impact on the environment while also helping put Sri Lanka on the map in terms of resort wear – a boon to the Sri Lankan economy because our island is already a tourist destination.

Heidi Klein featured models in distinctly textured fabric, with classic colours mixed with gold accessories on the swimwear which added extra glamour to the collection. This collection turned up the excitement of what was already an exciting evening even higher.

Overall, day two was filled with classic designs and models who took to the ramp with ease and confidence as they displayed eco-friendly designs in an interesting setting, which made for an enjoyable evening.

By Kaveesha Fernando