Top 10 on show at Chokolaate MDFD 2022 grand finale

• Collections to include casual, sports and evening wear for mother-daughter duos

The highly anticipated Chokolaate Mother-Daughter Fashion Designer 2022 returns in the month of May with a grand finale featuring 10 fabulous ladies. 

The 10 designers selected after a stringent selection process will showcase their collections of Casual, Sports and Evening Wear for mother-daughter duos at the finale show to be held on Sunday 29 May at Taj Samudra, the Official Venue Partner.

The 10 finalists were picked by a panel of industry experts comprising of Dinasha Ebert – Fashion Designer and Head of Design for Arienti, Hasini Rajapakshe – Fashion Designer, Nisansala Deegala – Executive Designer at MAS Matrix, Founder of First ConceptSL, Binari Sachendra, Fashion Designer and Head of the Linen & Casual Wear departments at Gflock Clothing, Krishani Rathnaraja – Fashion Designer and Creator of Krishani Rathnaraja Designer Wear, and Mariana Perera, Senior Fashion Designer and Illustrator at ODEL PLC. The semi-finals were held at the Official Semi-Final Venue Partner, Cuisine Colombo.

Marina Carraro, aged 20 represents the Mod Art International with her theme of Butterflies and Metamorphosis, while 25-year-old Lihini Wanninayake will draw inspiration from the Dahlia flower for her collections. IIT’s 36-year-old Maheshie Perera will also feature flowers in her collection with special emphasis on Blush Pink Roses. Zafreena Moulana from SLITA is another 25-year-old contestant whose collections will feature the abstract fusions of nature.

This year’s finalists feature two students from the Singer Fashion Academy, namely 22-year-old Kavini Weerasekara and 28-year-old Fathima Sumaiya Ameer. While Kavini’s creations are inspired by a bedtime story read to her by her own mother, Sumaiya will feature a predominantly Black collection. Focusing on the darkness of the soul, 23-year-old Maneesha Bandara from the Open University will also showcase her collection at the grand finale.

Three former students of Methodist College, Colombo 3 round up the 10 finalists at this year’s MDFD. 20-year-old Jayara Athukorala will showcase designs inspired by the forest, while 22-year-old Shadini Peiris has been inspired by string art and wooden textures for her collections. Last but certainly not least 28-year-old Aysha Faizer pays tribute to Paradise Sri Lanka with her silk and linen collection.

The grand finale will be executed under the watchful and vibrant eyes of Creative Director Dinesh Chandrasena, and choreographed by Rozanne Diaz. 

Gold Sponsor ICL Brands Ltd. with their fragrance range SECRETS will launch three exciting new products at the finale, and also showcase a unique competition and runway show of creations by the designers themselves.

This year’s Evening Wear segment will be sponsored by Singer Sewing Machines. The Runway Confidence Partner for the finale is Veet, and the Official Skincare Partner is Vivya. Hatch is also on board as the Official Eco-System Partner while the Party Station and Coats Thread Lanka are this year’s Supporting Partners. The Asian Academy of Commercial Studies also returns as this year’s Academic Partner. Gifts for the participants and winners will be sponsored by Wimaladharma Brothers, The Sugar Shop, Black and Szei Moda.

The Official Photographer for the event will be Praveen Mirando Photography and Official Hair and Make-up will be handled by Chrissy’s Salon. Sound and Lights will be handled by Cool Tempo and Videography by Avenue Pictures. Nehemiah Consultants will handle the Public Relations.