Sunday Observer Fashion Designer Contest 2010:

Big bash on September 11

by Thulasi MUTTULINGAM

Those who like fashion extravaganzas can look forward to a big bash on September 11 when the Sunday Observer fashion designer of the year, hosts its finals. It will be a fun-filled evening with an eminent panel of judges and popular entertainment including the Channa Upuli dance troupe.

Nichola receiving her award

There will be the creative designs to look forward to from the 20 selected contestants, whose designs will be showcased by professional models - and whose make up and hair will be done by well-known make up artiste Ramzi Rahman.

“We have a lot of great talent out there and the level of the competition keeps increasing annually,” said the show’s founder organiser, Chula Nanayakkara Ariyaratne.

Meanwhile, the race for the semi-finals is on. If you wish to apply, fill in the coupons and send it in with some of your sketches. The last day the coupons will appear in the Sunday Observer is in August. The semi-finals are scheduled for August 5, at 9.00 am at the BMICH.

All those who applied should present their sketches to be reviewed by a Panel of Judges. Twenty lucky (and of course talented) applicants will be shortlisted to participate in the finals.

Chula has some advice for all those who are applying: “Ensure all your sketches are fairly big and neatly drawn. Colour them so that we can get some idea of the colour schemes you had in mind.”

She can be contacted on 0776325118 and she invites all those who are interested to get in touch with her for advice on how to improve their sketches. “Anyone who wants can also see the sketches I have in my possession, from the previous years’ applicants. They can learn a great deal on what to do and what not, she said.

The show now in its seventh year since its inception has introduced many talented designers into the competitive and exclusive field of fashion design. “Only talent matters, age is no bar” for this competition as Chula said and one duo who has proved this is a mother and daughter team, Dewmiseya and Nichola Uralagamage.

Dewmiseya was the youngest finalist in the Sunday Observer Fashion Designer contest when she was shortlisted at the age of seven, as one of the finalists in 2008.

The following year in 2009, her mother Nichola, (40), participated and was the first runner-up. The winner was Gihan Ediriweera. She also won the ‘best sari design’ among the four categories of Sari, office, casual and evening wear.

Asked why she had enrolled her daughter before she herself participated Nichola said, “because she is a very talented young person. She has already made up her mind that she would be a fashion designer. She is always sketching and designing clothes. If she gets a piece of cloth, she drapes it a dozen different ways on herself, to see how it looks. I think she is more talented than I.”

Nichola’s models

Nichola, a beautician with her own boutiques (the Brides Salon) in Galle and Maharagama gave up a job on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1999 to raise her family.

It suited her better to be a beautician than have an office job; she said she had always been interested in the field of beauty and fashion design from a tender age. “I have three sisters and I always used to sew their clothes for them and that got me interested in the field of beauty.”

She has instilled the interest on to her two daughters. Her other daughter, aged twelve is interest in the art of hair dressing and make up and is keen to be a make up artist when she grows up.

Nichola read of the contest in an advertisement in the Sunday Observer, and enrolled her daughter, whom she felt was talented for it. Her hunch was proved right by the judges, but they said that the child should concentrate more on her studies and mature a little before entering the highly competitive industry.

The next year, Nichola contested and became the first runner-up.

She said that the competition has been of immense benefit to her in ‘several ways’ though she did find it a little difficult to compete as she was in Galle at the time. However, although an established beautician, she says the competition gave her much needed exposure and people sought her services.

As a result, she also freelances as a fashion designer.

The official sponsor of the show this year is Singer Sri Lanka.

Pix: Vipula Amarasinghe