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| Sunday, 28 December 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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New designers : The timeless beauty of dry flowers by Umangi de Mel
Sri Lanka being the land that has many tales and times that depict its uniqueness which inspires people to the core, has inspired Anoma Perera to be the fashion designer she is today. Anoma, yet another designer who's in the limelight with a taste and a personality that could make life easy, says that she was touched by the timeless beauty of a 'dry flower'.
She says that she saw ample qualities she could use on her collution on the dry flower. "I observed that it has different colours and textures which if put on clothes could surely express unique ideas. In short my garments depict the typical flower effect with the use of layers, lace and petals. Her first pret is a flared skirt which is embroidered and has a mesh on it to give it a dry look, "All three prets talk about my theme which is actually a must. The second dress has a three-quarter skirt on which real painted flowers are being stitched or pasted. And the third a purple coloured dress on which I appliqued too big flowers with sequins and beads to give a glamourous touch. My idea was to show that some flowers don't change their hue even if they dry up" she explains. Her avant-garde is the best creation from the lot "it's a shady shiny material to which bits and pieces of browns and blacks are fixed to depict a dry flower effect. The model actually resembles a flower".
She talks about her flair as an artist "I think I am a born artist. Having been the finishing artist at J. Walter Thompson, I acquired many skills. I resigned because of my family as it was getting neglected I still started a dress making course with Mrs. Brenda Wallace", she says adding nevertheless she lost interest and craved to do something else "I use to do dressing making at home and it was my husband who actually egged me on to start on a fashion designing diploma at LIFT (Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology) and I couldn't be happier" she says continuing "I jumped at the chance and took it up thinking it would be a piece of cake for me since I had a background knowledge of dressmaking. But the very first lecture proved me wrong. It was then that I learnt that many more things had to go into fashion designing if one had to achieve professionalism. It's a lot of research in pattern making and this was certainly tiring. Sleepless nights topped it all and it gave me a different taste and a different outlook and I enjoyed every minute of it, she said. The course also taught us that nobody can be a designer just because one loves designing. Aquiring the basic skills and knowledge is a must, if one is to achieve designing through professionalism. I learn most of my skills, awareness and knowledge at LIFT which gives students an overall knowledge of fashion desining". The show was great and people were saying that it was brilliant and had class. As for me it was totally overwhelming, especially since my designs were the ones that were used on the opening night. My first experience has been a wealth of encouragement and motivation to me", she revealed. She may be a bubbly and fun loving but Anoma doesn't forget that she has a family that looks up to her. "I am glad that I managed both on my own and of course with the support of my husband who has never failed me she beams with pride when she says that LIFT has selected her as a lecturer for their new lessons on "illustrations and colours", I am so happy I was selected to lecture because I am jolly well aware of the fact that I can't do another job which might be full time unlike this, since I have got children who need me" Anoma says. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
What would you do if you possessed an imagination that holds no limits,
and would run riot the whole time you set eyes on the simplest of thing?
The many things that inspire people range from puppets, beeralu
inscriptions to dry flowers.
"Dry flowers" is a rare theme, to pick on when you are
talking of designing and designing clothes at that. People admire flowers
when they are in bloom, but I wanted to show that their beauty still
remains even if the freshness fades with time;" Anoma Perera kicks
off the interview. She has been inspired by the timeless beauty of a
simple flower that adds life to nature. "I concentrated on the value
and the uniqueness of a dry flower on which I see ancient Sri Lanka and
its cultural essence", she says.
Talking about influences, she says that there was no one who influenced
her in particular but that she liked the designs of Donna Koran of New
York, "she is a designer who creates dresses that suits cultures like
ours. I like her designs but I wasn't particularly influenced by
her".
