HSBC Colombo Fashion Week scheduled for 4-6 Feb

HSBC Colombo Fashion Week 2011 is scheduled to take place on the 4, 5, 6, February 2011 at the Grand Ballroom, Hilton Colombo.

This year HSBC Colombo Fashion Week was the biggest to date and it provided a strong boost to the fashion design industry of Sri Lanka.

The highpoint of 2010 was the full implementation of CFW’s reciprocal MoUs with Miami Fashion Week, Russia Fashion Week, Karachi Fashion Week, Dubai Fashion Festival and Malaysian Fashion Week.

Kanchana Thalpawila was selected to show at Miami Fashion Week, Russia Fashion Week, Dubai Fashion Festival and the Malaysian Fashion Week in November. Fouzul Hameed of FH Studio showed at Karachi Fashion Week in April; his menswear collection was very well received and covered by media there.

Kanchana Thalpawila, who was one of the stars at HSBC CFW made her international fashion week debut at Miami International Fashion Week and won the ‘Emerging Designer’ award in Miami. 2010 has been a tremendous run for her, her last showing at Dubai Fashion Festival saw her getting orders in Dubai. She is currently preparing for Malaysian Fashion Week in November.

The main objective of Colombo Fashion Week since its inception in 2003 has been to uplift Sri Lanka’s fashion design industry through opportunities for Sri Lankan designers in key international markets, by guiding them and providing with opportunities to interact with important international designers.

“Unless our designers are commercially successful they will never be professional designers, it will only go as far as a mere a hobby, but doesn’t add up to a successful fashion industry. CFW wants more Sri Lankan designers on the local and international markets. Slowly but steadily we are moving in that direction,” said an optimistic Ajay Vir Singh, Colombo Fashion Week.

HSBC CFW has also strongly supported the local crafts on a yearly basis, first it was batik, last year it was Beerulla lacework through South Asian Foundation, in 2011 there will be another initiative to support another related craft and its artisans.

Nick Nicolaou, Chief Executive Officer HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives said: “We are happy to be the title sponsor of the HSBC Colombo Fashion Week for the fourth consecutive year. The fashion show has helped propel the local fashion industry to greater heights by giving opportunity to new and existing designers to showcase their collections alongside world renowned designers. And, their spectacular creations have made it to international ramps, making us truly proud of their innate talents and our contribution in recognizing tomorrow’s designers.”

“This event also provides our affluent customers a chance to be part of a high profile fashion show featuring some of the biggest names in Asia. Most importantly, the event has resulted in a positive strategic connection between the Fashion Design Industry and the Apparel Industry, making this event more successful every year.”

The other highlight of CFW has been its impact on fashion retail and a renewed interest among the younger lot to take up fashion design as a profession. There are more designers every year that participate in CFW.

“Colombo Fashion Week is positioned as a South Asian Hub for Spring Summer, it becomes a seat for international designers showing that collection, buyers coming to buy that and provides tremendous exposure and opportunities to our Sri Lankan designers to be an important part of this international platform. No one stands to gain more than the Sri Lankan fashion designers and the industry,” said Singh.

In 2011, there will be 20 Sri Lankan designers and 10 prominent international designers who will participate. There will be eight buyers and 10 international media houses represented.

HSBC Colombo Fashion Week, as the title suggests, is proudly partnered by HSBC in an important role, other key partners include Hilton Colombo, Sri Lankan Airlines, Colombo Jewellery Stores, Spa Ceylon, LICC, Hameedias, G2 and Video Image, among others.