CFW introduces ‘Responsibility in Fashion’ program to influence local industry

From left: Vision Care Optical Services General Manager Harsha Maduranga, Vogue Jewellers Managing Director Anura Hemachandra, Beauty Unilever Sri Lanka Marketing Manager Mihira Kulatunga, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives CEO Mark G. Prothero, Colombo Fashion Week Founder and Managing Director Ajai Vir Singh, Shangri-La Hotel Colombo Vice President and General Manager Timothy Wright, Ramani Fernando Salons Founder Ramani Fernando and Hilton Colombo Marketing Communications Manager Gigi De Silva

• Program focus on garment enhancement, garment disposal and recycling
• Introduces garment evaluation tool The Responsible Meter 
• CFW 2020 to have biggest emerging designer showcase to-date

By Divya Thotawatte

In an effort to impact the Sri Lankan design industry to be more sustainable, Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) recently introduced its ‘Responsibility in Fashion’ program which is to focus on three circularity-based initiatives that would attempt to save garments from ending up in a landfill. 

The three actionable impacts that the responsible program focuses on are the ‘Garment Enhancement Guarantee’, ‘Garment Disposal Plan’ and ‘Return-After-Use-for-Repurpose’ initiatives which would contribute by taking every garment towards achieving circularity. All designers featured in the fashion week would advocate responsible fashion, thus inspiring and transforming the local fashion industry. 

Colombo Fashion Week Founder and Managing Director Ajai Vir Singh stated that the circularity created by the program would enhance the journey of garments while preventing them from filling up landfills too soon. He noted, “The fashion industry now features among the top five most polluting industries in the world. It was always in our hearts to create a responsible and actionable program that could be very relevant not only to Sri Lanka, but also for key fashion countries in the world to adopt. We’ve been working on it for the last few years and I am happy that we’re the first in the world to implement such a program.”  

According to Singh, all fashion designers participating in the week have been supporting the CFW team on its responsible fashion journey to developing the program in Sri Lanka. He said that, therefore, it was the first fashion week in the world to initiate responsible fashion correctly. 

“In 2020, the focus of CFW is to encourage all the participating Sri Lankan designers and connected stakeholders to embark on this responsible journey. This focus is primarily to align the Sri Lankan fashion design industry on a responsible path, while celebrating the effort and the story of every garment. This will also profile the industry and showcase the intention of participating designers. Sri Lanka will be the first in the region that will embark on this collaborative program,” he elaborated. 

In addition to the aforementioned program initiatives, ‘The Responsible Meter’, a first-of its-kind garment evaluation tool, is to be introduced during this year’s fashion week. This tool would evaluate each garment showcased at this season of Colombo Fashion Week and is to be continued henceforth. 

Due to its emphasis on developing the next generation of Sri Lankan fashion designers, Colombo Fashion Week had received the highest number of applicants for the ‘Emerging Designer Program’ this year. Thus, this year, the ‘Emerging Designer Showcase’ is to feature 13 high potential young designers making it the biggest fashion show for emerging designers to date. These young designers would also incorporate the Responsible Meter and the three actionable impacts into their collections under the guidance of CFW. 

This edition of CFW would showcase collections of nearly 30 designers over a period of four days. Some of the international designers featured include Kanika Goyal and Siddartha Tytler, while the Sri Lankan participating designers include Charini Suriyage, Dimuthu Sahabandu, Indeevari Yapa Abeywardena, Sharmila Ruberu, Asanka De Mel, Dinushi Pamunuwa, Fouzul Hameed, Amilani Perera, Aslam Hussein, Kamil Hewavitharana and Jai by Aashki amongst others. This season of HSBC Colombo Fashion Week is to take place from 18 to 21 March. HSBC had contributed to the fashion week as the Title Partner; Hilton Colombo as the Official Host Hotel, TRESemmé as the Official Hair Care Partner and Shangri-La Hotel Colombo as the Official Hospitality Partner. Vogue Jewellers was introduced as the Official Jewellery Partner and, Vision Care as the Official Eyewear Partner. The High Commission of India had partnered as a strategic partner presenting Indian designers while Jaguar Land Rover is to be the Official Automobile Partner. CFW has also partnered with Hameedia, Dialog Club Vision, Ramani Fernando as Official Hair and Make-up Partner and Emerging Media as the Outdoor Digital Media Partner. 

Pix by Ruwan Walpola