In celebration of International Handloom Day this 7th of August, as the only Fair-trade certified handloom exporter and a leading social enterprise in Sri Lanka, Selyn will be celebrating a week filled with activities and premium offers online and at their Fife Road Flagship Store in Colombo 05.
Dating back 2500 years, the tradition of the loom takes its roots at the very inception of Sri Lankan history. Today the industry faces decline due to reasons ranging from an ageing labour force, lack of skilled experience, uncompetitive market prices, to outdated designs and lack of innovation and technology. Selyn takes on this challenge to revive our heritage and extend its benefits to our rural artisans.
Celebrating all things handloom, from the heritage of Sri Lanka to its local artisans, the importance of Handloom Week is to bring awareness to the local and international community about an artisanal skill that holds great pride and relevance in today's world, including in the billion-dollar global fashion industry. “Handloom Week is initiated as an important event to highlight and bring awareness to a core sector in the craft industry of Sri Lanka and to also highlight its potential as a premium export from the country. This year is special for us as we celebrate 30 years as an organization that has effectively contributed to the upliftment of the industry and has positively impacted the artisan community by committing to consistent work and sustainable livelihoods. In addition, we are pleased to have been recently awarded a prestigious grant which will enable us to propel the industry into the world with transparency and ethical practices at the core of it.” says Selyna Peiris, Business Development Director and next-generation lead of the company.
Apart from the activities and offers planned, which includes live sessions with Lonali Rodrigo and Vajira Peiris, two renowned Sri Lankan designers in their own right, Selyn will also use this week to conduct a series of discussions with global industry leaders, on the future of the sector. The first discussion on the 5th August at 7.30pm, hosted on Selyn’s Instagram as a live session will be dedicated to discussing ''Global Trends: From Craft and Heritage'' with Rue Kothari, a London-based Design Expert well known for connecting people and opportunities from East to West, along with Ruwandika Senanayake, a Senior Lecturer on Design at the University of Moratuwa. This conversation will be followed by another discussion on the 7th August at 7.30pm to discuss "Craft as the "Sustainable" Solution, Model and Area of Growth: An International Perspective from SAARC to the World" with H.E. Ambassador M. Riaz Hamidullah, Bangladeshi ambassador to the Netherlands/former ambassador to Sri Lanka and an advocate on craft and textiles from the SAARC region and Mr Patrick Duffy founder of the Global Fashion Exchange, a globally recognized agency for positive impact in the USA. Selyna Peiris of Selyn will join these conversations and this expert selection of panelists will use this opportunity to discuss the balance between scalability, sustainability and conscious consumption. These conversations will be moderated by Professor Robert V Meeder, co-founder of the Institute of Future Creations, who has a great understanding of the craft and the design world combined.
“I am honored to practice and moderate a very timely discussion on heritage and craft both in Sri Lanka and aboard. We have some outstanding speakers that will share their insights but also shed light on the opportunities and obstacles along the way into really developing the craft sector for export” says Professor Meeder.
Visit Selyn Fife Road Colombo 05 from the 7th to the 10th August 2021 to participate and stay tuned on our social media pages @selynfairtade and www.selyn.lk for more updates.
