FT
Sunday Nov 03, 2024
Monday, 25 September 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The soon-to-launch Lankan sustainable lifestyle brand ‘Sri’ took to the catwalks of London Fashion Week 2017, wowing what is perhaps one of the most influential audiences in the world.
The clever fusion of latest high-fashion trends of active luxe and return-to-heritage with stunning details of Sri Lankan handloom and dip-dye inspired by the island’s sunsets, jungles and flora paired with styling that nods to the latest vogue, was created by Amesh Wijesekera.
Amesh, who made his entry into the global fashion spotlight when he won the international catwalk of Graduate Fashion Week in London two years ago and has been living and working in London since.
Sri commissioned this emerging fashion star to design its debut capsule that presents an ultramodern trans-seasonal travel style that evokes Sri Lanka’s tropical lushness and rich textile heritage through a clever fusion of low-tech and high-tech material innovation. Sri looks to connect Lanka’s incredible allure as a travel hotspot with its immense potential to become established as the world’s leading travel fashion destination, to unlock new possibilities in business and commerce.
Entreprenuer Linda Speldewinde told Daily FT that her brainchild Sri trusted Amesh Wijesekara to deliver its debut collection.
“Sri’s debut on London Fashion Week is really years’ worth of work; we consulted the world’s top business trend forecasters to understand how and why international markets will move in the next decade. Luckily for Sri Lanka, it’s in a direction where we have a lot of leverage; namely design, fashion, travel and the quality of being ‘story-worthy’. Connecting these dots, Sri was conceptualised and has been in the making.”
To the global consumer that it targets, Sri is an inspiring bridge between two worlds, presenting a trans-seasonal fashion philosophy, tapping into the latest values and trends of consumers in Europe and North America. Sri combines the millennia-old wisdom of South Asia and the progressive, technologically advanced demands of global high fashion for an attractive low-tech meets high-tech product proposition that appeals to progressive new luxury design markets.
The spring/summer 18 collection debut collection for Sri by Amesh Wijesekara will be retailed globally in keeping with the international fashion calendar.