Lanka in the running for international award

Darshi Keethisena bags first International Young Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year (IYFEY) 2008:

by Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson

Director and Head of Design, thirty two year old Darshi Keethisena, daughter of eminent batik entrepreneur Buddhi Batiks was selected winner and ambassador for Sri Lanka at the first International Young Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year (IYFEY) 2008 Award.

She will vie for the grand finale along with nine other countries to be held in London in February where Darshi through her entrepreneurial skills, will expose Sri Lankan batik to the world as a product with international appeal in keeping with international cutting-edge fashion trends which will bring long term benefits to Sri Lanka.

Playing with fabric and colours has been a childhood passion for Darshi which has today emerged vehemently in her innovations.

Striving hard to make a change in the aesthetic batik industry, Darshi has worked diligently to push batik into the contemporary market over the past two years with her ingenious skills; a shift from the traditional cottons to the use of innovative fabrics like silk satin, chiffon and georgette designer wear outfits in new styles and silhouettes to experimenting with velvet, lurex and denim making a tremendous impact on the batik market.

This opportunity she derived having participated at the Haywards Black India Men's Fashion Fair alongside some of the stars of the fashion industry- Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal, Krishna Metha, Abraham and Thakore and others in so much that her sarees won special recognition and will be retailed in Indian stores from early next year.

To revive the Sri Lankan traditional look , Darshi also intends incorporating Beralu and Sri Lankan weaving and handloom textiles. Moreover, Darshi has also stepped into swimwear.

She has been working with a major manufacturer of swimwear in Sri Lanka on a range of Buddhi Batik branded swimwear which will be launched in the EU next year with the accompanying batik cover-ups- the kaftans, robes, beach wraps, skirts etc, a complete range of swimwear to suit international trends which she believes has a potential market.

The young fashion entrepreneur cum lecturer for fashion designing at the Moratuwa University, having two dress boutiques in the city says, "Sri Lanka has much potential in the fashion industry but what we lack is the opportunity and infrastructure to showcase our work which would take us to greater heights.

The Director Hidramani Group of Companies, Vinod Hidramani has pledged his support to foster this innovation for a couple of years. This is encouraging and a stepping stone for advancement in the industry and so has the British Council, the initiators of this award for Sri Lanka.

Upgrading the batik workshop and the finished product, and introducing eco-friendly dyes and putting Sri Lanka on top of the international market is my objective. Darshi's vision is to set up a Batik Council in Sri Lanka and a school as well and make batik a craft.

The nine countries that would vie for the title are Indonesia's Deli Rachman who has been running FAME 74, a communication agency focusing on fashion and lifestyle in Indonesia since 2005, Lebanon's Sarah Beydoun, owner and creative director of Sarah's Bag, a line of handcrafted custom made women's fashion accessories, Pakistan's Shamoon Sultan, Director of Khadadi, the company which he started six years ago which is now housed as stores in Karachchi, Islamabad and Lahore, India's Prachi Misha, Director of Oxymoron, accompany offering design services to organizations and other related companies UAE's Rabia Z, Fashion designer and creative director for Rabia Z fashion designing for the modern, modest Muslim women, Ghana's, Nana Asihene, the founder and head of Design of Nana Asihene Clothing Poland's Monika Drozynska, a fashion designer and company owner of the Caf,-Shop and Fashion Company PUNKT in Krakow, Nigeria's Biscola Edun, the founder and CEO of Tae-Wool Ltd and Mexico's contestant whose details were not yet available.

The (IYFEY) 2008 Award was inaugurated by the British Council to celebrate the importance of creative entrepreneurs working in the field of fashion between the ages of 25-35. Gill Westaway, Country Director, British Council explained that the winner, Darshi Keethisena will vie for the grand title for the first time in the UK. The British Council's goal is to showcase innovation in fashion promotion using the UK as the nexus for cultural, creative and commercial exchange.

This will generate an awareness of the potential and creativity the industry has to generate employment and a great opportunity as the country's fashion designer to take the batik industry to the world and make Sri Lanka proud of its entrepreneurship. Linda Speldewinde was adjudged first runner up of the IYFEY 2008 award.

The high profile for eligibility to apply for the contest specifically stated that the entrepreneur should show his/her ability to promote the fashion business in their country, in either a commercial text, public context or both, should already be in fashion sectors and through his/her character, drive and abilities demonstrate their potential to be future leaders in the sector in their country, be between the ages of 25-35 and have an IELTS score of 6 or above.

The British Council will prepare Darshi for the forthcoming ordeal for the competition in UK.

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