'Lankan handlooms have quality designs'

An international design expert has called upon the country to further strengthen its design and promotion capacity as Sri Lanka's handloom designs have a special identity.

"Sri Lanka is well known for its handloom textiles. Sri Lanka, rather than moving into fast fashion handloom cycles, can elevate its special handloom brand by building competence and international promotion," Visiting Lecturer, Woven Textile Department of London's University of Creative Arts, Jennifer Shellard told participants at a seminar on 'Design Development for Sri Lanka's Handlooms' last week in Colombo.

More than 50 handloom designers and experts were present.

Shellard has over 16 years' experience in creating quality products for the UK craft markets mainly in spun silk.

As a senior lecturer at the London College of Fashion, she conducted the Surface Textile pathway and subsequently set up and conducted the BA Hons Fashion Jewellery Course. She also assisted the Moratuwa University in 2003-04 to introduce weave designs to its BA Fashion course.

Her expertise extends to research on designs and crafts and challenging definitions and perceptions of hand-made textiles particularly with regard to presentation and context.

According to EDB officials, apparel exports in 2013 stood at US $ 4.26 billion. In 2013, Sri Lanka exported woven fabrics worth US $115.55 million compared to US $104 million in 2012, an increase of 10%.

In 2013 the top five buyers of Sri Lankan handloom products were Bangladesh, India, Turkey, Hong Kong and the UAE.

The appetite for Lankan handlooms in the US markets surged in 2013.

The US which was ranked as the 15th buyer of Lankan handlooms in 2012, jumped to seventh ranked importer in 2013 with purchases worth US $ 1.64 million.

"It is a high precision sector. In fact, it is a jewel for Sri Lanka," said Shellard.

"The apparel sector is generally responsive to fast fashion cycles. But not handlooms. Sri Lanka, rather than moving into fast fashion handloom cycles, can elevate its special handloom brand by building weaver competence and international promotion.

"I am not making a recommendation, but being involved in Sri Lankan weaving and understanding Lankan designs, I identified these factors," she said.

"Unlike powerlooms, handlooms help maintain the country's identity and help tourism.

If Sri Lanka becomes a mass producer of handlooms then it may not retain the same premium cache it has," said Shellard.

Chairman and CEO, EDB, Bandula Egodage said, "Forty-three percent of Lanka's total exports are apparel.

"The secret of our success in apparel could be that we don't sell apparel but designs.

"That's the value we deliver. We maintain our traditions and resources. Value addition is an essential factor and repeating of the same designs will not help us on the long run."