Fashion meets fantasy

An opening to new vistas...:

by Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson

Renowned brand names, elegance and sophistication are no more confined only to the west. Sri Lanka, broadening its horizons especially in the field of education has created new vistas; it is not far from the height of fashion, fashion education and international repute.
The graduation ceremony of the Sri Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology, one of the premier institutes for fashion education in Sri Lanka was the flaunting platform of a bizarre of talent by students who were conferred with a Diploma in Fashion Designing recently.

Examined by a world renowned designer, Hemant Trevedi from India the creative hands displayed their exceptional work at the LIFT Fashion Exhibition 2007 at Graffiti where fashion met fantasy choreographed by Director of Studies, LIFT, Niroshani Leanage.

LIFT has been a school afflicted to Northampton UK and the Robert Gordon University Scotland and has not only indulged in nurturing students interested in making fashion designing a career but has also encouraged them by showcasing their ingenuity at their annual Fashion Exhibition based on a theme.

The Avant Garde ready to wear collection this year based on "The five elements" was stupendous and a great boon for the future of the industry too.

Nirosahni Leanage's forte has been churning fashion professionals and aspiring fashion designers to market exposure, to meet the demand of fashion and export houses as well as launch their own labels in women's, men's and even kid's wear for the past eight years which has proved to be very enterprising for the country's as well as the industry's progress.

"Many students have achieved recognition of work even while following the course, the most recent being Dulakshi Jayasekera the winner of the Observer Fashion Designer of the Year Contest 2007 organised by Chula Nanayakkara Ariyaratne and also Amarsha de Silva, the second runner up of the same contest," says the directress.

"Moreover, there is much scope for these career oriented graduates with job opportunities with some of our leading garment manufactures like Orient Lanka, Maliban Textiles, Brandix, Timex Garments, Sumithra Garments Ltd, Vision Apparels, Norton Garments, and Melbourne Washing Plant and many buying offices to name a few", she added.

The industry although comparatively new to Sri Lanka has proved to be fast gaining international repute in the apparel sector as a viable industry and a fashion conscious people of elitism.

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