by PRASAD BIDAPA

Prasad Bidapa writes about his experience in the world of fashion in Sri Lanka, and tells us why we should never give up on this beautiful country

George Keyt, the Sri Lankan poet wrote these lines in the 1930’s, a dirge that somehow resonates down the corridors of time, as relevant now as it was then.

In a lonely place, among leafless branches, there are images seated in a circle,
There are placid faces and unseeing eyes. In everlasting silence
There are words spoken with voices from somewhere else, very soft, very distant.
The words are spoken, uttered in vibration,
Around that lonely place,
And the desolation listens.
-George Keyt

Sri Lanka, that brave nation that had seen a decade of peace after a long and bloody civil war, was attacked mercilessly on Easter Sunday in a nightmare flashback to more troubled times. The sheer viciousness of the attacks on churches and hotels left hundreds of dead and wounded. Most shockingly, many of the victims were little children in the act of receiving Holy Communion. These searing images are imprinted upon our collective consciousness and we will retain the pain forever. This attack counts as one of the worst in the history of terrorist attacks with the highest ever body count.

But Sri Lanka stands proud today, resilient and unshakeable as she takes strength in the faith of her own, wonderful people. Their agony is palpable, and you can see the questions in their eyes. Sri Lankans are an intrinsically gentle race, and the smiles you get from even strangers on the street attest to this sweetness of their natures.

I first went to Colombo twenty-five years ago, and instantly fell in love with the vibrant, tropical beauty of this teardrop shaped paradise, and would spend the next couple of decades working in and traveling all over the Emerald Isle. I made many friends, Ajai Vir Singh in particular, who would later become a business partner with whom I co-founded Colombo Fashion Week in 2003, right in the middle of the civil war. This was more of a long-term developmental project that aspired to curate the design skills of Sri Lanka and promoting the nascent fashion design talent.

Ajai’s tireless efforts to promote Sri Lankan Designers has seen 16 editions of this directional fashion week which positioned the Nation as a South-Asian design hub. Sri Lanka is one of the most design sensitive cultures in this region and has always presented a highly evolved design sensibility in their architecture, interior design, furniture and product design spheres. This was typified by entrepreneurs like Shanth Fernando whose chain of Paradise Road galleries, stores and cafes pretty much summed up the Sri Lankan design principle of spare, modern thinking combining with the best of their heritage crafts.

Their fashion industry was slowly evolving into creating a vernacular interpretation of fashion that was singular and noteworthy. Today a new generation of designers whom Ajai has assiduously curated are taking their space in the spotlight. He was invited to join as a founding member of the Commonwealth Fashion Council in London, which brought together 53 member countries under the patronage of Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. This put Sri Lanka firmly on the international design map, opening up trade routes and business opportunities for the designers worldwide. Now, in partnership with Fazeena Rajabdeen and Raj Omprasadham the Colombo Fashion Week will add a Bridal Week to their portfolio.

This year, in the 2019 edition of CFW, I remember thinking as I watched designers like Dimuthu Sahabandhu and Aslam Hussain showcase their impeccably constructed gowns, of how ready they were to take centre stage at fashion capitals the world over. Faultless technique and amazingly creative thinking combined to create a globally appealing look, that could be appreciated and worn anywhere in the world.

The attack coming at this time must not be allowed to stem the growth of the Sri Lankan fashion industry. It has served the country well, impacting both its global image as well as showing its potential to attract the top level of tourism during the various fashion weeks.

Prasad Bidapa is a well-known fashion personality who has worked in the fashion industry for close to four decades

source: http://www.vogue.in / Vogue India / Home> Fashion> Insider / by Prasad Bidapa / April 26th, 2019