Go to Kshyahla for the best office wear!
by Nilma Dole
Meeting the bubbly and chatty
Kshyahla Pinto Jayawardena who won the prestigious Office Wear winning
title at the ‘Sunday Observer Fashion Designer of the Year’ is a
pleasant experience. She is more than just a young designer with a bag
of talent, she is a friendly personality who has an eye for anything
fashionable and trendy.
 |
| Kshyahla winning the Office
Wear award at the Sunday Observer Fashion Designer 2009 |
Having grown up with an artistic flair from the time she was young,
Kshyahla said that some of her mother’s creative streak has shone on
her. “I feel blessed that I grew up in an artistic home and besides my
mother, my father and my sister are very inspirationally colour-minded.”
She studied at Ladies College and it was when she participated in
‘Impressions of Beauty’, a fashion design event at her alma mater that
she won renowned titles such as the ‘Best Designer Evening Wear’, ‘Best
Designer Sari Wear’, ‘Most Creative Designer’ and ‘Designer with the
Best Collection’. Collecting all these awards inspired Kshyahla to look
into creative avenues.
“For me, fashion design is an epitome of art and there was plenty of
artwork in my creations. Since I started designing and illustrating when
I was 13 years, I felt that designing was always close to my heart”.
However, Kshyahla was not sure about fashion designing at the beginning.
“Initially, I was very much into debating and I aspired to be a
lawyer but life took a different path when my parents told me to take
part in the ‘Sunday Observer Fashion Designer of the Year’ competition
because they knew how much creative spunk I had in me,” said she. So she
worked day and night to brainstorm and produce her line of creations. “I
was very happy that I was chosen as one of the finalists because I was
cramming for my exams a few days before the show,” she said. In her
range, Kshyahla opted for a rather interesting collection of blues and
blacks infused with dazzling colours.
“I went for total handloom material because Chula advised me to go
with something comfortable because realistically, it should cater to the
ordinary working girl making it practical and fashionable”. With her
amazing colour combination, Kshyahla made sure that her design was prim
and proper and held to its name. “I want to study for a degree in
fashion design, and go onto further studies that would give me a well
balanced and well rounded impression and experience of the industry’s
opportunities” said she. She also has a dream to launch her own clothing
line and believes that international recognition will benefit Sri
Lanka’s fashion industry greatly.
“It will perhaps contribute to changing the narrow-minded and
inferior perception many Sri Lankans have of this industry”. Kshyahla
also hopes to get into costume designing and has a long-term goal of
initiating and developing a centre for performing and fine arts.
Kshyahla thanks Almighty God and her parents including her sister for
constantly supporting her with their help and advice.
“I would like to thank my friend who modelled my creations, Dilini
Dissanayake who is really fun to work with. I didn’t have any problems
with getting the right fashion attitude across” acknowledged Kshyahla.
She also thanks Chula Nanayakkara for her help, Ramzi Rahaman, the
Sunday Observer for their tremendous support and all those who have
stood by her through thick and thin. |
