Putting their craft at the cutting edge of fashion and adopting a hands on approach we are proud to introduce you to some of Sri Lanka’s brightest fashion sparks from around the world. Playing their part in a fashion revolution, these designers have been on a mission creating looks that have caught the eye of the international fashion press.
Words: Tina Edward Gunawardhana
Ruwanthi Gajadeera
Fashion School: Academy of Design
Name of brand: Kaeli
On the cusp of graduating, Ruwanthi Gajadeera is hailed as one of the Academy of Design’s brightest fashion prospects. A semi finalist in the ReDesign Fashion Awards in Hong Kong, Ruwanthi’s graduate collected titled Kaeli was also showcased at Graduate Fashion Week in London where she emerged as first runner up at the Graduate Fashionweek International Catwalk hosted by the Graduate Fashion Foundation. Ruwanthi’s aim is to incorporate her Sri Lankan heritage and sustainable methods of ancient Sri Lankan culture to support slow fashion and to produce
eco-friendly garments.
Ranura Edirisinghe
Fashion School: Central St Martins, London
Name of brand: @Ranura.e
A textile and knitwear designer, Ranura was born in Sri Lanka and brought up in the U.K. His work looks towards heritage craft and process. An alumni of Central Saint Martins, where he completed his BA Fashion Knitwear with support from The Samsung Fashion Fund and Design Awards, Edirisinghe has also held a residency at The Mahler and Lewitt Studios in Spoleto, Italy. Vogue’s Sarah Mower describes his latest work as a “completely cheerful collection revealed in homecrafts”. For Ranura this collection pays homage to his Sri Lankan heritage of batik printing in which he aims to forge a new design language rooted in artisan collaboration.
