Peek at a game changing CFW
Mariposa unveiled at the HSBC CFW press conference and below, some of the invitees. Pix by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
The team behind HSBC Colombo Fashion Week is changing the game for their 16th edition of HSBC Fashion Week in March 2019, which they were proud to announce at an exclusive concept launch event on November 16.
“This year we’re doing something a little bit different,” teased Chairman of CFW Holdings Pvt Ltd Dirk Flamer Caldera, opening the event with a speech thanking title partner HSBC and all the sponsors.
Titled ‘HSBC Colombo Fashion Week: The PREVIEW’, the three day fashion extravaganza is a push to sync with the international buying calendar.
Spread out over three days, the categories include Pret, Resort and a new addition: Gala. First up is Pret, showcasing ready-to-wear (prêt-à-porter) Spring/Summer collections. The second day will feature swim and resort wear collections. The final showcase Gala will focus on avante garde designs through evening and occasion wear. The shows will be carefully curated to suit each category, according to each designer’s personal ethos.
Design Manager for HSBC CFW and Creative Director of Lois London Radhika Perera – Hernandez revealed that the platform focus next will be ‘Lankan by Design’, which hopes to “uplift home-grown talent and showcase designers that reflect best what this country has to offer” through innovation and sustainability.
The design application process was opened on November 19, and designers who may or may not have shown at previous shows will have the opportunity to showcase their collections on the main runway. The spotlight this year will also be shared with new and emerging designers, who will be supported and mentored by Radhika and her team to help prepare them for the international market.
The evening culminated with a special teaser for the show next year, featuring ‘Mariposa’ by designer Andre Estefan, whose collection embodied the concept of metamorphosis from a cocoon to a butterfly, a perfect choice to reflect the transformative development that HSBC CFW: The Preview is striving to attain next year.
