...but remaining steadfast to her Sri Lankan roots:

She may have played dolls house without a wish to race into international stardom. But today that's exactly what has followed her hard work and a passion to create Prasad Abu Bakr takes a closer look at Darshi Keerthisena of Buddhi Batiks.

Sri Lanka's contender to the International Young fashion Entrepreneur of the year (IYFEY) 2008 award which takes place in London in February 2008.

Our need to launch a designer of international repute with a Sri Lankan identity has been in the doldrums for a long time now, though the necessity was high in the agenda the ability to be able to spot somebody with that attitude is what lacked us the opportunity to earmark such talent. But thanks to people like Ajai Singh who, through his initiative of the Colombo Fashion Week last year managed to recognise young talent and lead them towards the international catwalk.
 

Designer Darshi Keerthisenas recent participation at Haywards-Black India Men's Fashion Fair (out of which many pictures of her work shown at the event are featured here) was one such opportunity to showcase her work to an audience which witnesses high fashion almost throughout the year owing to an event calendar that has fashion at its helm almost next to everything else.

The next cog in the wheel that set this event rolling on is the British Council of Colombo which in fact initiated the programme enabling young designers to participate in the IYFEY 2008 award.

Darshis selection to this event can be justified not only because she reached the expected criteria demanded by the application form coling in for candidates. But her great desire to showcase her country's craft culture through the avenues of international design and style.

Even in Bangalore last month her work was highly acclaimed not because it was contemporary but more for her novel approach of using Batik as he main medium on clothes that can be said to be patronised by the decerning wearer of today.

Her association with batiks had lived within her as almost a childhood fantasy which probably enriched her mind to be what she is today. Surrounded by colour and design all her childhood and her decision in the later years to choose fashion as a career has stood in good stead for this young lady.

Today it is correct to state that her label Buddhi Batiks has brought back the sari into vogue in a big way. Her designs are sought by many a lady of Colombo's dress circle.

Women are attracted to her designs in an instant and her creative skills to address their needs is probably what is keeping them from coming back for more.

Darshi has not only re-introduced the craft of batik, which has always remained the base of her family business, as a new antidote to high fashion she has steered the possibilities of reproducing batiks, which had otherwise always used cotton or silk as a base into a range of other qualities of fabrics by and large, though she complains that the garment industry is not listening well enough to the needs of small time manufacturers.

The Hidramani Group which has wisely discovered the opportunities which has stated to knock at our doors where international merchandising is concerned has extended a hand of goodwill to address the many needs that a contender stepping into international competition will come up to face while travelling towards something in the nature of IYFEY 2008.