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| Sunday, 15 January 2006 |
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High market
fashion designer
by Umangi de Mel
Chathuri Samaraweera is 27-years-old and is a successful fashion designer at KLI Apparel in Los Angeles under the brand name 'True Meaning'. The vivacious ex-Visakian did her degree in Accounting and Finance in Monash University, Australia. Having come back in 2003, after the degree, Chathuri worked for sometime at Nestle and Coca Cola during which she did two fashion shows with Singer and Hayleys. But deep down what she wanted was something totally different Chathuri discovered that she could do more as a fashion designer after which she decided to acquire professional qualification, "So I went to Los Angeles to study fashion designing at the Fashion Institute of Designing and Merchandising (FIDM). And while studying I worked part time but before I finished my studies, I was offered a job at 'Rampage' as an assistant designer and I worked there for sometime. Actually there, the companies are segmented. 'Rampage' was a junior company which follows affordable trends". Wanting to move on to the next level Chathuri joined 'True Meaning' which was more into sophisticated and high market clothing. "Actually we work one year in advance. I've done their spring and summer collection for 2006 and right now I'm working on fall and winter 2006 which I'll be finishing by February and start on the 2007 collections", Chathuri says talking about her family that her father is a creative person who's handed all his creativity to her, "My father's Harold Peiris and he's even designed clothes for Sugathapala de Silva's plays and done the stage decor. He's won so many awards and has a gallery of artefacts called Chamathkar! My mother's Lalani Peiris who worked for UNFPA and my sister Udyami Peiris just graduated. And of course I'm married to Asitha Samaraweera." According to her fashion is all about making a statement and portraying an image. "It can be anything so long as you feel comfortable and confident in it". She feels that the Sri Lankans don't think fashion as a day to day part of life, "For them, being fashionable is important only during an occasion. I think that's where they have to improve as Sri Lankans. Abroad we spend so much time designing the company uniforms that will project the correct image. I think from a business point of view, it's very important, although in Sri Lanka you don't get such things still. It doesn't need to be an occasion but all about focusing on being smart at work, as that's what's going to take you to the next level. All the retail stores here pick things randomly but it's about being more informed about what's going on in the rest of the world and getting the right fit to clothes. We need talented people to identify the latest needs in the world. Chathuri speaks about fashion and trends back in the US, "It's fast paced. We start with research and magazines like Vogue helps to get more ideas. We also have fabric shows. Actually schooling there has helped me a lot to learn about fashion designing. It's a very competitive work environment which is all about proving yourself and not about the number of years you've worked. The society's a little harsh and it all depends on your performance. But all in all, it helps you to become a strong person. According to her fashion is all about predicting and being able to understand the customer who's bound to change. She explains that 60 per cent of a successful garment is all about perfect fit. "You can have a perfect outfit but it's a flop if the fit's not correct," she says. Talking about her career Chathuri says it gives her great satisfaction as well as freedom, and she feels that it's the ideal career for a woman, "Designing is an amazing career where you can even work from home. It's a crazy life but if you can balance everything, it's just the greatest thing." Having discovered the creativity in her since she was thirteen, Chathuri says she never buys but designs and get it made. "You have a superb advantage of getting good seamstresses whereas abroad it's close to impossible." She did 'Magic' a fashion show in Las Vegas and 'Coterie' in New York. Having worked over an year at her current company in Los Angeles, she hopes to continue work there but giving preference to be based in Asia Chathuri says she'd love to start her own label where she'd cater to the US market first, "But at the same time I'd like to design a label for Sri Lanka." |
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