SLDF Ethical Fashion Award winners to pitch for London Fashion Week

Ethical Fashion is a concept recognised widely across the globe and promises to be the future of design and fashion owing to the rapidly spreading awareness on ethical and environmental consciousness.    

The four winners of the inaugural SLDF Ethical Fashion Award were announced at the recently concluded Sri Lanka Design Festival 2010. The results were announced during the Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) 2010 Industry Fashion Show held at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, watched by an esteemed local and international audience. The Ethical Fashion Award 2010 went to Mihiri de Silva of the label R.E.D., Lonali Rodrigo of the label Lenz and Kanchana Thalpawila of KT Brown from the ready to wear category) while Charini Suriyage emerged winner from the lingerie category.

Mihiri de Silva who launched her winning label R.E.D. on the very same night said that winning the award on her launch night is a special honour; “winning of ethical Fashion award has been an endorsement of R.E.D. ethos and manufacturing process, especially as it was judged by a renowned panel of international apparel specialists. The mentoring sessions that I had with these dignitaries are invaluable to me and the label.” Mihiri de Silva’s designs are based on employing waste materials and components from the apparel industry in Sri Lanka her ethical fashion label R.E.D. takes a holistic approach to ethics and forward thinking design work gives the collection a strong standing to attract high street buyers around the world. She has 18 years of product design and development experience and a vast knowledge by lecturing at the Academy of Design and University of Moratuwa. She herself was educated at Leeds University and Davies’ College, London.

Kanchana Thalpawila, of KT Brown has years of experience in design through her work with indigenous weavers. Kanchana’s signature style revolves around uncut clothing, using minimum seams to reduce wastage of fabric. She was invited to show her collection at Miami International Fashion Week, Russia Fashion Week and Malaysia International Fashion Week. Kanchana is a graduate of Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion.

The winners of the SLDF Ethical Fashion Award are to take part in a mentoring process with the judging panel of internationally famed leaders in ethical fashion before taking part in the London Fashion Week Esthetica group. The four winners are also to become a part of ‘Designers of the World’ in September 2011. Lonali Rodrigo of Lenz, who was the youngest winner, was backed by her involvement at Garment Industry Management Institute and at the Academy of Design where she is currently following B.A in Fashion Design. Her designs reflect her energy and passion through the funky, junky and radical looks along with traditional methods, cottage industries, recycling and use of environmental friendly resources in her collection. “The victory and the opportunity that I earned was truly unexpected and challenging. The offered mentoring by the international judges has proved to be great guides to sharpen my thoughts, ideas and creative designs blended by my own talents” said Lonali on her victory; “This is an opportunity for me to convey my concept to the world while working with the Sri Lankan garment industry to make use of our own manufacturing waste to make creative fashion to save our land” she added.

Charini Suriyage the winner of the Lingerie section graduated from University of Moratuwa and was seconded to undergo training with acclaimed designer Carol Maloney in the United States and subsequently with Limited Inc New York. She received extensive education at Saint Martin’s College London and with AOTS Japan, and is a visiting lecturer at University of Moratuwa. She worked with MAS Intimates UK in London designing for the M&S account. Charini is currently reading for her masters in Design Management at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, United Kingdom.

The SLDF Ethical Fashion Award 2010 was organised by Sri Lanka Design Festival and MAS Holdings along with assistance of the UK based retailer Marks & Spencer, the British Council and the Carbon Consulting Company.  The festival was conceptualised by the Academy of Design (AOD) and inaugurated in 2009. In 2010 SLDF took place for the second time organised by the AOD in partnership with the Export Development Board (EDB) with the principal sponsorship of MAS Holdings.

For more information log on to; www.srilankadesignfestival.com