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By Cassandra Mascarenhas
Shopping for clothes in Colombo is a fairly arduous task, especially when in a rush – more comparable to an expedition in a sweltering jungle than a civilised day out.
Hacking through racks of fabrics, whiling away time in endless queues, parched and starved a couple of hours down the line, tempers running short – it certainly is a lot of effort for a dress that you may only end up wearing once.
It is precisely this that charismatic young designer Shayani Alwis hopes to eliminate with the launch of ‘Shay int.’ – her own line of designs which will be sold exclusively through a store bearing the same name, which is set to open its doors next week, on 22 November.
Commercial
When asked what differentiates her from the influx of young designers in Colombo, Shayani explained that the ‘commercial’ aspect of her lines of clothing is what will set her apart. Crop tops, shift dresses, maxis, distressed jeans, shorts and a whole lot more will feature prominently at Shay int.
“Shay int. will contain clothes that are hard to come across here. It will be young and fun, something along the lines of Forever 21, and the styles will be updated constantly to reflect the differing trends in fashion. I will cater to ages above 13 and while the lines will be predominantly youthful, Shay int. will also feature items for older people,” she revealed. “I’ve always veered away from couture – even my final collection for my degree featured ready-to-wear pieces – it was very commercial.”
Whether looking for a casual outfit to wear on a coffee date, something more risqué for a night out or for an elegant gown for a special occasion, Shay int. will cater to all requirements – a one-stop shop of sorts.
“The clothes are also versatile and with some accessorising can be worn on many occasions as well, doing away with the need to have outfits for specific instances,” Shayani added.
Shopping experience
The store will feature a wide range of clothing, affordably priced, and the collections will be updated with new designs as often as every week. Shayani also assured that there will only be 15 items of each piece of clothing in order to maintain exclusivity. Customers who are unable to make it to the store on the very day will be able to reserve outfits for up to three days via the newly-launched website – www.shayint.com.
The website too has been designed to reflect the style of a blog and will have a more personalised feel, complete with style guides and updates about what’s new in store.
Every customer to visit the store will have access to personalised style advice and can enjoy a very customised and welcoming experience, being able to chat with the designer herself. Alterations too will be undertaken and Shayani added that she’s aiming at bringing in customised designing further down the line.
Furthermore, there’s an added incentive to be among the privileged first few to walk through the doors of the store: “The first 50 customers will receive 10% lifetime discounts,” she said.
Inspiration
Shayani draws inspiration from many sources, is motivated by a mix of muses, and her ideas and sense of style are constantly updated and change according to what’s trending globally.
Lebanese designer Elie Saab influences her line of eveningwear and gowns, and ’60s icon Francoise Hardy was named as another muse – unsurprisingly so as Shayani draws upon the styles of the ’60s when designing, mirrored in her preference for shift dresses, paisley prints, eye-catching colours and midriff baring tops.
Her love for the ’60s is even reflected in the ambience of the boutique which will feature an entire wall inspired by the styles of the era. “I actually also draw style inspiration from my friends, especially when designing pieces for the store, as they all have their distinct ways of dressing.”
Big risks
In an age when up and coming designers have harnessed the commercial aspects of the internet and social media to market their products instead of literally setting up shop, opening up a store comes across as quite the risk.
“I’ve always wanted to open a store featuring my own designs – it’s a goal that I had set for myself a long time ago. Also, as a young person living in Colombo myself, I’ve seen that there is limited choice in the stores in the city and I wanted to do something to change this,” Shayani stated. Interestingly enough, fashion designing was not her first love. “It was architecture!” she said, laughing. “The scope for architecture in Sri Lanka, I feel, is somewhat limited and I’ve always been a very fashion conscious person so fashion designing was a very natural choice.”
The degree in fashion designing she pursued at Academy of Design helped a great deal in fine-tuning her skills, she admitted, and a stint at MAS Linea Aqua taught her a lot about the practical and economic features of the industry.
DIY and future plans
From every piece of clothing to the tags, from the shopping bags to the interior of the store for a single collection, Shayani has envisioned and mapped out everything in her mind, and then designed it all herself. “I have gotten involved in every aspect of opening up this store,” she said, determined that everything be handled by herself from the onset.
While the ‘Shay’ part of the store’s name is rather self-explanatory, Shayani explained that the ‘int.’ reflects her long-term plans for the brand – to take it international and build up the name globally, with roots in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, while her fabrics are sourced at the moment, yet another of her goals is to manage her own textiles eventually.
“It’s been kind of crazy getting everything in order, from getting permission from relevant ministries to making sure the clothes have been stitched properly, but my family really believes in me and supports me, and they have been such a pillar of strength and so have my great group of friends. However, it’s my dad who has been my biggest inspiration – it is he who has given me the courage to come this far and take my dream to further heights,” she added.
