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| Sunday, 16 November 2003 |
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Sri Lankan food derives much of its depth and fire from aromatic, fresh spices. The country was known around the world from the days gone by for its deep ports, gems and of course for spices, which give colour and taste, to any type of food. Prasadi Ariyadasa, another upcoming fashion designer from Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology (LIFT) was inspired and profoundly influenced by spice, the source of the island's fiery cuisine. "I really like hot stuff," she says with laughter flowing from her sparkling eyes. One distinct feature of her collection titled 'Spice Island' is that the outfits are not just fancy dresses, designed merely targeting a fashion show. These smart casual men's clothes, more comfortable looking in softer materials of neutral colors, are very down to earth. Today men's wear has become less formal and this trend has even found its way into the workplace. She observes that men are becoming increasingly concerned with style, colour, and patterns in their clothing. "Fashion changes rapidly, this could be now seen in the Sri Lankan fashion arena as well," she says. Fashion refers to much more than the exclusive and expensive clothing produced by leading designers even unknowingly, most people follow fashion to some extent, in their day today lives. Yet, we have to accept that no new fashion succeeds until people are ready to accept it. The final decision about what to buy, or whether to buy anything at all, belongs to the consumer. As designers we have to bear this in mind when introducing new and different styles," she says seriously. Except for the avant-garde, in which she has used sarong to give a total Sri Lankan look, the other three outfits are casual ready-to-wear shirts and trousers. "I always tried to stick to my concept, simple and practical," she says. It is accessories with Sri Lankan identity that highlight the garments, sash of chilies, necklace of maze and armlet and bracelet of cinnamon, etc. Short shirts, with crab designs printed around the neck and cardamom and clove designs on the sleeve ends, give an elegant look with an ethnic touch. LIFT Fashion Awards 2003 has opened a way for her to work as a fashion designer at Ready Wear Garments, but she wishes to start her own business in two or three years. She feels that women's wear is the conspicuous category in fashion, and does not agree with the opinion that women lack dress sense. "You cannot draw a line like that, it's not based on gender, but differs from individual to individual." Prasadi says that women are lucky because they have many variations. Then why did she select men's wear category? "It's easy," she is frank. "Besides, I like to dress men! Most men are not fashion conscious, they can feel comfortable wearing an unwashed denim for days with totally unmatching T-shirt," she adds giggling. Only 20 years old, Prasadi is an old girl of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo 7. "I liked fashion since my childhood, especially jewellery. I learnt sewing from my small days. I wanted to do something different, something my sister, an undergraduate would never do," she chatters away. Not winning an award did not make her sad, but she says that placing her designs on the ramp was a big victory. She wants to thank everyone, those who encouraged her as well as discouraged her. "I owe them a big thank you, because their discouraging words made me to do this." |
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