From designing for rag dolls to bespoke tailoring
View(s):- Personal challenges never stopped Thushani Rodrigo from pursuing her passion
By Shanali Fernando
As the little bells hanging on doors jingle, you see Thushani Rodrigo in her element; tape around her neck, writing down the measurements of her most loyal customers who keep coming back to her for their next custom-made outfit.
From her collection Bliss in Paradise. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
Starting her off at the age of 15 by enrolling her in the Singer sewing course, her mother Ruwanthi who is also her biggest supporter never held Thushani back from any activities a ‘ normal girl’ would do. “She was born with a hearing impairment, and her childhood was a difficult one due to this,” Ruwanthi says as we sat down at the busy store to speak about her daughter. “Though conventional learning was difficult for her I noticed that she was more comfortable in activity-based learning.”
Thushani Rodrigo
Thushani grew up seeing her grandmother sewing for the family. “I think that built her passion for needlework and sewing just like her grandmother,” her mother says.
After completing her diploma, Thushani started sketching designs and converting them into garments that she often tried on the rag dolls she had created. “Friends and family slowly came to her to get customised casual and occasional wear done as she was well known for designs that had a good cut and fit.” As her small circle of customers grew, she took a stall at the Good Market where she would meet her customers and take orders. “She prides herself on garments that are neat, with a clean finish, a perfect fit.”
“Every day after I came home from work I would see her working on her patterns and fabrics. I felt her growing passion for this, and seeing her grow gave me enough confidence to step out of my full-time job and devote my time and energy to help her grow,” her mother explains.
Todos was established in 2016 and in 2018 a brand new store was opened so that the growing customer base could be accommodated. As the brand grew so did Thushani as a person. “I never deprived her of any normal children’s activities even though sometimes doing them was a challenge for her. Despite the occasional tears and frustrations she persevered. Every time I raised the bar she has jumped,” Ruwanthi says with a sense of pride.
“Todos is mostly known for bespoke tailoring, but with time the brand has grown into exclusive collections and bulk orders as well. Thushani always loved working with sustainable fabrics, most of her custom designs are done in silk but her ready-to-wear casual collections were mostly linen,” Ruwanthi says. Her search for sustainable fabrics led her to a 100% vegan alternate that she used in her newest hand-crafted exclusive collection Bliss in Paradise. “It’s about wrapping yourself with kindness.”
Bliss in Paradise – Todos’ 100% vegan collection is available at Cotton Collection Colombo 7. The Todos store is located in Rajagiriya. Call 076 700 8600 for more details, and follow todos_clothing
on Facebook and Instagram for their
latest collections.
Searching for that next furry family member but couldn’t find one in your area? Hitad.lk has the solution with our extensive listings of dogs for sale in Sri Lanka!