‘KT brown’ is the intriguing name and if that’s not enough to start a buzz, the location adds to it. Using a warehouse down Park Street, designer Kanchana Thalpawila has in mind an overwhelmingly, different kind of experience in fashion. Promoting the ‘boutique’ trend similar to what you would experience in Dover Street Market in the UK, it is a place to get inspired by hip, contemporary styles that have the ability to steal the limelight in any fashion scene.
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| Kanchana: Designing for a small niche market |
Kanchana says that her present collection has dip-dyed, uncut garments inspired by ethnic costumes. “These are all squares gathered into different shapes,” she explains adding that simple though they may seem, such creations however require a considerable amount of time and effort.
Kanchana believes that rather than catering to the mass market, shopping in a specific designer store offers more by way of customer satisfaction. “Also I don’t want to do big quantities for the simple reason that Colombo is a small place and those who dare to be fashion forward are limited in number,” she says.
Kanchana’s aim was to create a different retail experience with a more relaxed, laid back environment with personalized customer service. “I want people to come and spend time here in the boutique, trying on different clothes, discuss their requirements and not necessarily to buy,” she says.
As for her choice of fabrics, Kanchana says her preference is for basic fabrics- raw material - with which she likes to do things differently. Her outfits are not specified for a particular occasion such as party wear, evening wear, office attire etc. “Say you wear something during the day, you can even wear it for an evening function may be by adding on a jacket,” she says.
Kanchana hopes to promote talented Sri Lankan designers who are capable of innovation, and plans to allocate a small corner inside her boutique to sell their items in small quantities.
At ‘KT brown’ the customers will also have the opportunity to get their outfits exclusively designed by this talented designer who has 20 years of experience in the industry.
It all began for Kanchana when she won the Dress Designer of the Year Competition organized by the Lions Club of Cinnamon Gardens in 1990. She studied fashion design at the London College of Fashion and creative pattern making at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design.
With considerable experience now to add to her creativity, Kanchana is set on cutting her own niche in Colombo’s fashion circles. The newly opened clothes boutique is located in close proximity to the Park Street Mews Restaurant. |
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