CFW day 3: Strikingly dramatic

By Tera Jayewardene

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Aslam. Pix by Ishanka Sunimal

As the ballroom doors opened, it was a race to get good seats at the Shangri-La on March 1 to see the six designers Aslam Hussein, Meraki, MAUS, LIMAK, Vathsala Gunasekara and Suket Dhir showcasing their work at Day Three of HSBC Colombo Fashion Week.

Aslam Hussein’s collection mainly in white and beige, was elegant as well as comfortable and stylish. Aslam believes that all of his creations are born with a story to tell and his collection presented structured silhouettes with high waists, dramatic collars and sleeves, and sheath dresses in addition to flared styles.

A past winner of the Emerging Designer award, Vathsala Gunasekara’s Botanical collection had the plant theme clearly running through. Called, ‘Mono no Aware’ which roughly translates to mean “an empathy toward things” in Japanese, it had a relaxed sophistication.

Limak

Sharmila Ruberu describes Meraki as a mood lifter and this collection focused on the powerful emotions that objects can evoke or instil in us, as well as the beautiful sadness in the passing of loves and objects. Her collection was minimal, ethical and bohemian.

A model walked down the runway, with both hands holding up the fabric of either side of the dress and the essence of the collection of LIMAK could be understood.The fabric was plentiful and as it was stretched up; its beauty and elegance could be seen. Designer Kamil Hewavitharana claimed his inspiration from the town of Valencia in Spain’s south eastern coast, its architecture, vibrant colour, and the stained glass.

Working with a muted palette of sophisticated subtle contrast in textures and colour, the MAUS collection was striking in its simplicity.

As a finale, Indian designer, Suket Dhir presented a collection that was fantastically cut and showcased a tasteful use of prints.