DIMO powers Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week SL 2021 with AOD driving #DesignForExport

Sri Lanka has talent, resources and ideas. We have what it takes to resolve the current  issues..We thought it’s time to bring back Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to the island to take this important message from Sri Lanka to the world, and at the same time, draw in real commercial impact by pushing our boundaries in the export market - DIMO vehicle businesses Chief Operating Officer Rajeev Pandithage

The 2021 line-up of shows at MBFWSL embraces this theme of the ‘New Local’ featuring young talent from around the island and continues its focus on taking Sri Lankan fashion beyond borders. This time, there’s a distinct focus on commercial collections designed for export, making MBFWSL an event to look forward to as a platform embracing commercial sensibility with the promise and drive of young Sri Lankans - AOD Chairperson Linda Speldewinde

The DIMO and AOD partnership has been hosting the annual Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (MBFWSL) Sri Lanka for several years. MBFWSL was always an event that carried serious commercial undertones to it and  as 2021 comes to an end,  the global event is back with a fresh perspective that aims to revitalise Sri Lankan commerce in this sector and reconnect it to global markets, only stronger. 

‘The New Local’ Design for Export is the theme for MBFWSL 2021, channelling a message of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to and from Sri Lanka. 

MBFWSL will be held on 10, 11 and 12 December at Colombo Innovation Tower, and streaming live on www.mbfwsrilanka.com

“Sri Lanka has talent, resources and ideas. We have what it takes to resolve the current  issues. We believe in that because they are the very same things that made DIMO – a Sri Lankan company built on the hard work, creativity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit of its people and as the official authority of the Mercedes-Benz brand in Sri Lanka, we are proud to make this happen as the brand is all about Sustainable Design. Today, the designers at Mercedes-Benz reconcile tradition and modernity in designing the cars of the future and it has become the definition of modern luxury,” said DIMO vehicle businesses Chief Operating Officer Rajeev Pandithage.

Pandithage explained that this is the reason why DIMO partnered with AOD to bring back MBFWSL in 2021, as it became important to have a global platform that can host the creativity, innovation and manufacturing capabilities of local talent, to an international audience that is looking for meaningful products and stories. 

“We thought it’s time to bring back Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to the island to take this important message from Sri Lanka to the world, and at the same time, draw in real commercial impact by pushing our boundaries in the export market,” he added.

Mercedes-Benz and Fashion is just a perfect combination. The demands on fashion and cars in terms of style have similarities that define the way in which one presents themselves. A trendsetting design therefore plays a central role both in fashion and the world of automobiles. 

MBFW, Mercedes-Benz have been offering designers a platform to present their collections for many years and over the recent years, Mercedes-Benz has established itself globally as a partner of selected fashion events, and the brand is currently involved in more than 60 fashion platforms all over the world. 

In recent years, Mercedes-Benz has made a name for itself in particular for promoting talented young designers and Sri Lanka is proud to be part of this movement and for AOD to have this association to deliver to this sector in Sri Lanka is a great endorsement and we thank our partners DIMO for making this happen. 

“The 2021 line-up of shows at MBFWSL embraces this theme of the ‘New Local’ featuring young talent from around the island and continues its focus on taking Sri Lankan fashion beyond borders. This time, there’s a distinct focus on commercial collections designed for export, making MBFWSL an event to look forward to as a platform embracing commercial sensibility with the promise and drive of young Sri Lankan as the event’s official presenter and producer, AOD has played a significant role in,” added AOD Chairperson Linda Speldewinde. 

Overall, MBFWSL ties into a larger vision which calls to rethink Sri Lanka’s export offer by adding more creative value to major exports and responding to the current markets with very different needs to those they had in the pre-pandemic reality. 

The three runway shows and the exhibition held as part of MBFWSL have been created to highlight how Sri Lanka is using design thinking to identify the radically shifted needs and desires of markets worldwide, and providing solutions that are timely, relevant and progressive for the current post-pandemic reality. 

The three shows will be live-streamed on www.mbfwsrilanka.com while the MBFWSL fashion exhibition, highlighting projects with outstanding creative and sustainable thinking in young Sri Lankan designers, will be open to the public under COVID-19 guidelines, at the Colombo Innovation Tower between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka is presented by AOD, powered by DIMO, with the support of its key stakeholders, the Ministry of Regional Corporation, the Export Development Board, the SL Joint Apparel Association, as well as Wijeya Newspapers, Kess, Kevin Murphy and Gelish by British Cosmetics. 

Join Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2021 as it presents an inspiring new perspective to rejuvenating Sri Lanka’s economy through rethought, refocused and redesigned exports that meet the new demands of global markets. For more information, call +94 77 572 7772 or email us [email protected].