CFW: 13 Emerging Designers to hit the ramp with responsibility on their minds
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Come March 19, CFW will see the highest participation of Emerging Designers, a testimony to the development of the next generation. The showcase will be held at the 35th floor of One Galle Face Tower, overlooking the cityscape of Colombo.Under the guidance of CFW, each young designer will also incorporate CFW’s Responsible Meter, where every garment will be given a score based on how responsible, accountable and transparent it is.
Thirteen potential young designers will be showcasing this year. “Although our quota for each day’s showcase is seven, we couldn’t help but select 13 deserving young designers because of the evolved design thinking displayed in their collections. It’s always exciting to present the next gen as that reflects the work that has been put in throughout the years into the future. This is a testimony to the design development system that CFW has established and continues to focus year on year,” said Ajai Vir Singh, Founder and Managing Director of Colombo Fashion Week.
Nurturing the next generation of Sri Lankan fashion designers has been the key focus since the inception of HSBC Colombo Fashion Week. The design development system of CFW has always been an integral part of the platform and became an important format for CFW with which to mentor, train and groom the next generation of fashion designers. The ‘Emerging Designer Showcase’ focuses on honing the skills of young designers and providing them with a platform to showcase their creative talent.
Over 90% of both established and up-and-coming designers in the country today began their journey in fashion with CFW. This is a testament to the platform’s authenticity and commitment to promote a self-sustainable infrastructure for emerging designers.
Each Emerging Designer has been carefully mentored - guided on design thinking, collection planning, fashion marketing, brand presentation and retail feasibility over a period of three months. The collection planning aspect was guided by Upeksha Hager, a senior fashion designer, while the rest of the programme including fashion marketing and retail is led by Fazeena Rajabdeen, CEO and Director of Colombo Fashion Week. The programme is a result of the overall design development system for Emerging Designers which was crafted by Ajai Vir Singh.
“Establishing the Next Gen has been one of the objectives of our developmental system since inception. Every year we raise the bar and streamline this platform to adapt and allow more participation in this segment. This season we showcase 13 designers, whose point of view has been nurtured and strengthened to create the future of our fashion system,” said CEO and Director of Colombo Fashion Week Fazeena Rajabdeen.
Aside from being presented with the opportunity to understand the intricacies of how one of the four main fashion events in Asia functions, the designers are enriched with the know-how on fine-tuning their collections to better appeal to the market. Through the showcase, designers are also exposed to a diverse audience which would comprise established designers, buyers and influencers, both on and off the runway and particularly in terms of fashion retail.
Colombo Fashion Week has formed strategic partnerships with Sri Lanka’s leading and like-minded brands — HSBC as the Title Partner; Hilton Colombo as the Official Host Hotel, TRESemmé as the Official Hair Care Partner; Shangri-La Hotel Colombo as the Official Hospitality Partner; Vogue Jewellers as the Official Jewellery Partner; Vision Care as the Official Eyewear Partner; High Commission of India as a strategic partner presenting Indian designers; Jaguar Land Rover as the Official Automobile Partner; Hameedia; Dialog; Club Vision; Ramani Fernando as Official Hair and Make-up Partner and Emerging Media as the Outdoor Digital Media Partner.
This season of HSBC Colombo Fashion Week will take place from March 18 to 21, with the Emerging Designer Showcase held on the 19th. For more information on Colombo Fashion Week’s Summer 2020 edition visit the official website www.colombofashionweek.com. Follow Colombo Fashion week on Instagram (@colombofashionweek) and Facebook (@colombofashionweek) for the latest updates, photos, videos and more.