Timeless fashion from Dilly & Carlo

Wednesday, 27 November 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Dilani Wijeyesekara, designer and co-owner of Dilly & Carlo, is the inspiration who has made Colombo’s timeless dressing her signature. The aim when the designer launched Dilly, a women’s only label, was to liberate women in Sri Lanka with their effortlessly elegant designs and fill the void for high-end fashion wear.

Twenty years later, Dilly extended into a men’s line and launched Carlo, a brand created by Ajith Wijyesekara. In 2012, both brands collaborated and Dilly & Carlo was launched creating a lifestyle brand, fashioning elegant, casual and corporate women’s wear as well as menswear together with youthful fashion, denim, handbags and accessories. Perhaps the reason for their lasting appeal is because Dilly & Carlo has taken a considerate approach to understanding body shapes and producing wearable designs. Commenting on the essence of Dilly & Carlo’s designs, Dilani explained: “Our style is known as ‘intelligent fashion’, equivalent for clothes that are well-cut and has a feel good appeal. The philosophy behind our creations is clear; how the clothes look like on a real person matters more than how it might look like on the catwalk or on a hanger,” she said. Dilani and her team of ten designers are poised for their next wave of creations. Keeping ideas renewed at Dilly & Carlo is a reflection of the

inspiration around Dilani and her team. Referring to her next source of inspiration, Dilani said: “Nature is my muse for the upcoming collection. The beautiful organic hues made from Indigo, Saffron, Venivalgata, Bulu and tea leaves will be woven into our fabric giving the wearer an intimacy with nature.” In this fickle industry of fashion, Dilly & Carlo has stood the test of time, proving their resilience and responsiveness in creating what the fashion-sensible customers are looking for. In response to how Dilly & Carlo will never go out of style, is perhaps best said by Dilani herself: “Dilly & Carlo is real and what’s real stays forever.”