A slumber party at the Mews: Mackly brings sleepwear to the runway

Friday, 23 June 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A slumber party took over Park Street Mews on 18 June when sleepwear label Mackly hosted its first runway sleepwear show. The Mackly models enjoyed every minute of their turn on the runway, marking a first for Sri Lanka as ladies and kids modelled the label’s Kids Sleepwear range and premiered the Ladies Pyjama line.

Mackly Founder Sharmila Srikumar launched the label in 2014, with exclusive focus on children’s sleepwear. She was inspired by her own long quests in search of comfortable, safe, adaptable and cute sleepwear for her children. The Mackly label initially designed children’s sleepwear, and with this show Sharmila debuted her first Ladies Pyjama line for older customers.

At the show – Sri Lanka’s first exclusive sleepwear showcase – 35 young children bounded down the runway in their Mackly pyjamas. The company places emphasis on the safety factor-each piece goes through a needle and metal detector and is phthalate and allergy-free. Comfort is an additional factor-the sleepwear is made with 100% breathable cotton material and all t-shirts have heat seals in place of labels to avoid discomfort at the back of the neck. Moreover, each piece is tested for colour fastness and shrinkage.

Mackly’s ladieswear collection was launched at the show with an opening performance by 12-year-old Senruni Abeywickrema, who sang Rihanna’s hit single ‘Diamonds’. The show, complete with a dance performance by the models and dancers, was well received.

The ladieswear collection brings functional style to the table, and Sharmila says she was responding to overwhelming demand from her young customers’ mothers, older siblings and other friends. “In this day and age there’s no such thing as ratty old pyjamas,” she shared at the event. “In this highly visible, shellfire-policed culture even your pyjamas need to be on-trend. And who doesn’t want to be in their comfiest clothes after a busy day?”

The walk sequences were choreographed by well-known modern, jazz and ballet trainer Surekha Buell. Sharmila thanked her friends, the parents of her young models, and others who contributed to the show’s success including Head Masters who managed Hair and Makeup for the models.

She thanked her young brand representatives in particular, saying: “We are so proud of all the kids who have amazed us on stage today.” She added, “Think about how often you wear these clothes. It’s worth having something nice to go to bed in at the end of a day. Cosy clothes are more relevant now, and we’ve made them stylish and added extra comfort and safety features for a great night of sleep.”

Mackly sleepwear is available at Odel and Cotton Collection with a new collection out every three months. The latest collections are expected to hit the shelves from July onwards.

Pix by Lasantha Kumara