Three international fashion authorities to handpick outstanding talent at Mercedes -Benz Fashion & A

The grand finalé of Mercedes-Benz Fashion & Apparel Awards Sri Lanka is scheduled to be held at the end of this month as part of the prestigious Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF). The event aims to leverage on the glamorous platform created under Mercedes-Benz’s international network of fashion runways, to create an outstanding new opportunity for local talent to reach the global limelight. 

The awards will recognise the most cutting-edge industry innovation, best sustainability integrated design and emerging young talent in Sri Lankan fashion; the selected winners are due to receive access to engage with unique fashion industries abroad under the patronage of Mercedes-Benz and SLDF. The finalists, recently announced at a private event held at the DIMO800 Mercedes-Benz centre, are currently preparing their final submissions for the awards, and are expected to wow the audiences at the grand finale this November. 

Three international judges with notable backgrounds have been selected by SLDF to handpick the most deserving winners out of over seventy applicants; Jane Rapley OBE, Prof. Emeritus Central Saint Martin’s UK, Peter Ingwersen - Former Levis Europe Brand Director and Creative Director for Day Birger et Mikkelsen and Stuart MacLeod, founder of British fashion label Mr&MrsMacLeod, are the prestigious judging panel for the awards and they will be selecting the winners based on several criteria which they have constantly revealed throughout the awards process. 

Jane Rapley OBE, Prof. Emeritus Central Saint Martin’s UK, is a leading authority on fashion. Having produced legendary fashion names like Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney during her reign at Central Saint Martins, Jane was recognised with Her Majesty the Queen’s honours for her services to the UK creative industries. 

Speaking at the event announcing the finalists, Jane stated that it was a privilege to be part of upcoming Sri Lankan designers’ dreams, ambitions and was impressed with their professionalism and ingenuity. She also urged the finalists and designers in general to think beyond the typical 20-year-old market and reach out to bigger markets and think beyond the norm; “It’s naive not to realise that post-30 market is massive, it has more money, it’s more diverse in style, price points and quality and it’s the market where great brand reputations are made and more importantly sustained.”

Peter Ingwersen – former Levis Europe Brand Director and Creative Director for Day Birger et Mikkelsen – spoke of the ‘magic’ that they are looking for, from the winners at the finalé. He stated that they were out to find something special, and if he had one advice to give to the finalists it would be the following; “Make it more contemporary, make it more fashion and make it simpler.”

UK designer Stuart MacLeod, founder of British fashion label Mr&MrsMacLeod mentioned that the judging panel favoured innovation and sustainability in the choice of material and manufacturing processes and were on the lookout for fashion talent that was uniquely Sri Lankan yet, very contemporary.  

Wrapping up, Jane Rapley bid good luck to the finalists with these words; “For those who are still in the game after tonight be warned – for the next round the bar is higher. So there is a lot more work to do, so invest the time to reflect on our comments, rethink the core focus of your application, redesign and remake if necessary. We want to say ‘wow’ next time we see you. Take our breath away. Give us goose bumps.We want the final Awards event to showcase the very best of you, your brand and your company and show what your country can do. Make Sri Lanka proud or perhaps even more proud of you. Get those creative juices flowing!”

Mercedes-Benz Fashion & Apparel Awards is powered by DIMO and official print media, Wijeya Newspapers’ Daily FT, Daily Mirror and Sunday Times. The grand finalé of Mercedes-Benz Fashion & Apparel Awards will be held on 28 November and the tickets for the glamorous runway and awards show will be available with the Sri Lanka Design Festival Secretariat at 29, Lauries Road, Colombo 4. For more information call 0115867772.