Strong international line-up complements exciting Sri Lankan designers at HSBC Colombo Fashion Week

The exciting Sri Lankan fashion designer line up will be well complemented by the mix of international designers. Some have shown previously and some are new to HSBC Colombo Fashion Week.

An exciting line up of designers, which includes the return of leading fashion designers Bibi Russell, RizwanBeyg, SamantChauhan, Manoviraj and Agatha Ruiz De La Prada alongside a list of important designers who will show for the first time at HSBC Colombo Fashion Week.

 Making their debut at HSBC CFW this year are designers Pepa Pombo from Colombia, James Ferriera from India, Gaetanno Navara from Italy and Jason &Anshu from India who are renowned for their talent and design work in their respective countries as well as the entire fashion world.

Across 3 days, from February 24th to 26th the international designers will grace the HSBC CFW catwalks at the Colombo Hilton

“Knowledge grows when shared, we use this as one of the principals to develop Sri Lankan fashion talent, by bringing relevant International designers who will be beneficial to the Sri Lankan fashion industry. This year we take this momentum further” says Ajai Vir SinghPresident of Colombo Fashion Week.

The new faces at HSBC Colombo Fashion Week will be

Pepa Pombo

The superstar of ethical fashion in Latin America, her work has revived art and communities while creating cutting edge designs using ethnic inspirations.

Is a specialist in knitting mainly embroidered by hand invented by her mother 35

years ago. Pepa’s garments are very popular for its distinction and

modernity. They have boutiques in Colombia and Mexico

and representatives in USA, Canada, Chile, Kuwait and Venezuela

James Ferriera

With a career that has spanned three decades, and countless different images; James’s style encompasses the neoclassic, fresh and contemporary.

Today his design is instantaneously recognizable from his flowing garments that evolve from a weave, to a drape, to a cut; the end result being a timeless silhouette from one single piece of cloth.

A master draper and cutter, James is a rare designer who begins his design process by draping on a mannequin to perfect form and flow, even before the first pattern is made. His designs capture the movement of the drape, and epitomize simplicity, femininity, and sensuality.

Using Eastern techniques of drawstring and origami, James creates innovative, and interesting silhouettes, where ease of movement is key. He works primarily with natural fabrics, and gives special attention to details such as hand embroidery and hand finishing.

Gaetanno Navara

Gaetano Navarra is an Italian fashion designer with a clothing label in his name.

The Gaetano Navarra fashion can be considered an unpredictable, modern, and everything but a taken for granted style; his experience grew in his family’s knitting industry, and later made good use of the technical know-how thus creating his own exceptionally innovative image. Already in 1986, his first prêt-a-porter knitwear collection was in the fashion shows in Bologna, and in 1991, in occasion of the Milano Collezioni event, he aroused the interest of the international press, which recognized a young talent in him that had to be followed with great interest.

Geatano Navarra represents the professionalism of a family business conjugated with the trends of the new generations. A designer-made knitwear, born for the contemporary way of life, knit with modern techniques on unusual material, with dazzling colours and sensual lines; a collection that was exported abroad with great success, and awarded by the attention that all media dedicated to it.  A name that is projected towards the future, as his knitwear made of young-styled garments created for the woman who feels self-confident, and made with the satire of a contemporary style.

With leading international designers showcasing their work in the busy schedule over three days and buyers, media and fashionistas ready to soak up the atmosphere at the Colombo Hilton, HSBC Colombo Fashion Week 2012 is going to be a full on week of fashion.