Sri Lanka to be trailblazer of ethical fashion in South East Asia

By Cheranka Mendis

Sri Lanka is all set to launch South East Asia’s first ethical week with the launch of HSBC Colombo Fashion Week for the seventh consecutive year.

All plans indicate that this famous Fashion Week will be held on 4, 5 and 6 February. ‘Fashion Ethical’ a shared effort of ethical representation from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Malaysia is to be launched on the 5th, the second day of the event. Sri Lanka is to be the hub of Fashion ethical, President Colombo Fashion Week Ajaiy Virr Singh stated.  

Chairman Colombo Fashion week (CFW) Ajaiy Virr Singh (third from left) at yesterday's media briefing.  Others from left CFW's Dirk Flamer Calder; Colombo Jewellery Store Managing Director Akram Cassim; HSBC Sri Lanka CEO Nick Nicolaou and CFW's Prasad Bidapa – Pic by Daminda Harsha Perera

This endeavour will create a platform for other countries in the region to follow suit. “South East Asia’s first ever ethical fashion week, ‘Fashion Ethical’ is a unique initiative which compliments and synergises with Sri Lanka apparel manufacturing. With the launch Colombo will be the hub of Fashion Ethical and would soon be taken to other parts of the region starting with India in September and Singapore thereafter,” Singh said yesterday at a press conference.

Consultant for HSBC Colombo Fashion Week Prasad Bidapa stated that not even India, a known destination for fashion designing was able to create an ethical fashion week. He claimed that Sri Lanka Tourism initiative ‘Visit Sri Lanka 2011’ will receive a good kick start with the Fashion Show starting in the second month of the year.   Informally labelled as South Asia’s only international fashion week, Colombo Fashion Week this year would showcase the strongest lineup yet with 12 reputed international designers and 22 local designers and new faces of the modelling world from both Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Singh stated that the Fashion Week was a non-profit event committed to uplift the local fashion design industry, creating a suitable platform for the development of new talent, existing professionalism and the future of the local fashion design industry.

CEO of HSBC Nick Nicolaou talking of HSBC and its title sponsorship for the fourth year stated that the event was much more than an international fashion show. “As World’s local bank, HSBC always looks at opportunities to give a truly global experience to our customers. This event uplifts the local fashion industry and as one of Sri Lanka’s main financiers for the local garment industry we are truly happy to partner the event.

On the designers gracing the event, it was said that in addition to regular international designers such as Bibi Russell from Bangladesh, Rizwan Beyg from Pakistan and Agatha Ruiz De La Prada from Spain; there will be new faces and names to the likes of Alecca Carrano and Dimitris Zoz from Italy, The Ultra from Malaysia, Sunnet Varma, Gaurav Gupta, Samant Chauhan, Masava, all from India and Laskala from Russia.

The local designers who are 22 in number include Darshi of Buddhi Batiks, Kanchana of KT Brown fame, Yoland Aluwihare, Fahad Sheriff of Middle Finger, Fouzul Hameed of FH Studio, Strinhopper, LICC, Acushla, Pearly King and Sarani among others.

Fashion Week’s knowledge provider British Council will bring in Managing Director The Trend Boutique (UK) Ltd. Sally Denton who will hold workshops on all three days on trends, business support for new design labels and intellectual property building.