EDB promotes apparel through SLDF 2012

Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) 2012, backed by local industries and the Government, will be held this week at the Mount Lavinia Hotel.

The event is to take place under the theme of ‘Locally Global,’ encompassing the taking of Sri Lankan design to the world as internationally-relevant yet locally-rooted industries.

For this reason, the apex Government organisation for development and promotion of export of products and services from Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) has partnered the event as a Key Stakeholder.

“We are keen to promote the Sri Lankan apparel industry and associated industries to keep abreast of the changing trends and needs in the global market and also to promote their ground-breaking initiatives to the world. We’re proud to recognise our apparel industry as a regional visionary in among exports and it’s very important for us to portray this to the world,” said Janaka Ratnayake, Chairman and Chief Executive of EDB.

This national design event, supported by the EDB, will include many industrial forums, educational symposiums, exhibitions and fashion shows. EDB’s main support for the apparel export industry will come to life as two key events: the prestigious South Asian Apparel Leadership Forum and the Sri Lanka Apparel Fashion Show.  

The South Asian Apparel Leadership Forum, 2012 under ‘New Global Dimensions; Strategic Role of Sri Lanka and the Region’ will take place on 17 November at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. A prominent personality brought down by EDB for this event is Mark Green, Vice President for Global Supply Chain for PVH Corporation that leverages a diversified portfolio of brands — including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW, and Bass — and markets them globally.

Other influential personalities visiting Sri Lanka with EDB’s support include Michelle Mone, founder of the Ultimo lingerie brand in UK, the sustainable icon Jonas Eder-Hansen of Copenhagen Fashion Summit, Todaro, AAPN’s Managing Director along with David Burnbaum – renowned apparel strategist and author of the monthly global newsletter ‘The Birnbaum Report’. There are also representatives from several global brands like Ted Baker, M&S, VF Corporation and Monsoon attending the forum this year.

The Sri Lanka Apparel Fashion Show, also supported by EDB, is the ultimate global platform for swimwear, lingerie, sportswear and casual-wear depicting the design capabilities and manufacturing excellence of the local apparel industry.    

EDB is keen to engage with all organisations across the apparel supply chain from the yarn to the retailer at SLDF, and also encourages logistics and finance parties to participate in the forum and share their valued opinions to form a strategy on how Sri Lanka apparel and associated industries can move forward together from a South Asian and a global point of view. For registrations for the South Asian Apparel Leadership Forum and the Sri Lanka Apparel Fashion Show supported by EDB, and for more information contact www.srilankadesignfestival.com or the festival secretariat +94 11 5737303 at AOD design campus, 29, Lauries Road, Colombo 4 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

SLDF was founded by Sri Lanka’s international design campus AOD (www.aod.lk) and is supported by the Ministry of Economic Development, the Export Development Board and JAAF as the Key Stakeholders, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau – Tourism Partner, SriLankan Airlines – Official Airline, Mount Lavinia Hotel – Official Host, MAS as the Main Sponsor of Sri Lanka fashion and apparel awards, TradeCard – Official Software Partner, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics – Official Freight and Fashion Logistics, Textured Jersey – Official Fabric Partner, Coats Thread – Official Thread Partner, MTV/MBC – Electronic Media Partners, and PrintCare - Official Printer.

The British Council, The Norwegian Embassy and Goethe Institut are also supporting SLDF as Knowledge Partner, Cultural Partner, and International Program Partner, while WGSN, JustStyle and Textile Institute/Textiles magazine are promoting the festival internationally as the International Media Partners. SocialMidea is the Official Social Media Partner and Cheryl Gooneratne is the Official Hair and Makeup Partner for the festival.