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Seasonal music with touch of Broadway
It's Christmas time once again. Another year is about to end, and the rush in the city has begun. The shop windows are glistening and even in Sri Lanka there is a "nip in the air".

Capturing all this, director Jith Pieris once again produces yet another seasonal musical, this time with a touch of Broadway added.

Christmas on Fifth Avenue goes on the boards at the Bishop's College Auditorium on December 7 and 8.

All the traditional carols like 'O' Come All Ye Faithful', 'Joy to the World' and popular Christmas songs such as 'I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus' and 'White Christmas' will be sung by Penny Ferdinand, Shanelle Fernando, Angela Seneviratne, Samantha Ferdinand, Krishan and Sanjiv Jayarathnam, Dyan Fernando and a host of others.

There will be dance sequences in keeping with the Christmas theme by the "Oosha Garten School'' and modern dancing by Natasha. Beverley Rodrigo on the keyboards will give the best of Christmas while the 'Hyper-active Santa Claus' will be performed by Shohan Chandiram.

A special feature of this programme is 'Mumbai on Broadway' which will consist of fusion music, the piano and tabla choreographed by the very versatile Channa Wijewardena.

Producer and director Jith Pieris says he tries his best to bring in the traditions associated with Christmas to show that this festival continues to be the most universally celebrated holiday around the globe transcending language and culture.

Hot, hot Christmas with Odel
By Ishani Ranasinghe
Odel, the city's hottest fashion store promises to change how people look at Christmas. Their surreal Christmas theme, launched last week on a rainy Friday is 'Unreal Odel' - a Christmas full of dreamlike illusions, bizarre visuals and an illusion of colours. The colours for Odel's look of the season are hot pink, electric blue and bright purple.

Understanding the value of being different, this 'surreal' look aims to cut through the seasonal clutter, when most stores would garnish themselves with stereotype decorations such as green Christmas trees, silver bells, holly and mistletoe. Odel wants to set a trend and give the consumer an international experience in shopping especially during the season.

Creating excitement and anticipation with its unusual Christmas theme from shop decor to wrapping paper and shopping bags to billboards, Odel will be unreal throughout the season.

Bridal dreamland in Kandy

Leading names in the bridal industry will come together for a unique bridal show in Kandy on December 7 at the Mahaweli Reach Hotel.

Anoma and Angeeka Athukorala, celebrated bridal designers will be displaying a brand new collection. Said Anoma and Angeeka, "We have gone deep into each design. We visited the Colombo Museum to study some of the traditional clothes worn during bygone eras that recreate our heritage and culture.

"Exclusive fabrics have been carefully chosen with raw silk, cheese cloth, cotton, beeralu lace and modern metallic silks flown in from Singapore and India by Sarita Textorium, our principle sponsor. Hair and make up also will reveal some of the latest trends. Specially designed jewellery will be used and around 40-50 bridal designs will be displayed by 15 models."

Some of the most sought after names in bridal decor and flowers such as Barnes Wijenayake, Therese Harridge, Wimal Wijewardena and Kandy's very own Mr. Marabedda will be taking over the host venue - the beautiful Mahaweli Reach Hotel to create a bridal dreamland. Sri Lanka's veteran bridal photographer Jerome Crusz and wedding photographer of the year Ravi Silva will be capturing beautiful brides on camera. All outfits are being stitched by Palika Mohamed, Ramani Perera and Sujatha Panditharatne.

A name that needs no introduction Channa Wijewardena and his graceful dancers will provide the evening's entertainment. Stage lighting and sound will be handled by Funtime. Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and Nuga Sevana are the electronic media sponsors.

All proceeds of this show will be donated to the Cancer Society, Kandy to enable them to build the much needed Cancer Hospice in Kandy. Anoma and Angeeka stressed that most of the charity fashion shows are concentrated mainly in Colombo.

"For a change it's being held in Kandy and we decided to gather the very best in the bridal and entertainment industry to produce a dazzling show. It will also create the much needed awareness on terminal cancer and the importance of our continuous support. We are requesting people to make this event an opportunity to donate towards Cancer," they said.

Smart suits for night or day
By Nedra Wickremesinghe
Suits are very much in style this season. Unlike in the past, the modern day suit is about versatility; going from day to night, work to weekend, cocktails to a hot date.

Suits are no longer strictly business though the "suit" is the ultimate in office-wear. A clean, well-cut suit is one of the most flattering outfits any woman can wear.

Current trends see a slim silhouette - with suits taking on a lean look. Wide collars, double-breasted shapes and big shoulders are out for this season. Many people think a suit is all about the jacket, but the pants matter too, and an ill-fitting pair can ruin the whole look. Nothing makes inexpensive clothes look smarter than a perfect fit.

Jacket: The classic modern jacket should be of mid-hip length. The single- breasted jacket can look fine unbuttoned or semi-unbuttoned. But a double-breasted jacket is designed to be worn closed to give it a streamlined look.

Skirts: Hems barely covering the knee are still the most flattering.

Trousers : Suit pants are usually high-waisted, but for a more modern look try a low-waisted pair with longer hem that hits just above the heel of your shoe. Straight-cut or bootleg trousers are still very popular.

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