Colombo Fashion Week continues to build momentum for the upcoming resortwear season in the region

25 September 2015 06:07 am Views - 2670

From Left to right: Jerome Auvity –  Director Operations, Jetwing Hotels, Dirk Flamer-Caldera  –  Director, Colombo Fashion Week, Roshni Fernando – Director, SML Frontier Automotive (Pvt) Ltd., Ajai V. Singh – President, Colombo Fashion Week,  Nilantha Bastian – Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC, Amal de Silva Wijeyeratne  –  Managing Director, OLU Tropical Water, Dasantha Fonseka  – Chairman/Managing Director Vision Care and Ramani Fernando –  Ramani Fernando Salons

Galle Fort plays host to the fourth edition of HSBC CFW Resort

HSBC Colombo Fashion Week Resort, in its fourth edition, aims to push resortwear forward as a high growth category in the region whilst enabling  more Sri Lankan designers to tap into the growing demand for resort and destination wear. CFW Resort 2016 will take place in Galle, with the iconic Galle Fort serving as the centre for a series of fashion-themed activities, from 27 September to 4 October 2015. 

Once a category that was focused on exclusively during the holiday season, resortwear has, in the last decade, grown to become a multibillion dollar fashion industry with year-round sales to cater to the rise in demand for stylish, vacation-friendly clothing. The increase of global mobility and ease of travel to sunny destinations, as well as the changing ways in which holiday experiences are shared on social media, have given rise to resortwear as a wardrobe staple throughout the year.

This shift in the market has prompted both designers and retailers worldwide to pay greater attention to resortwear and cater to consumers who also see resortwear as a versatile, ‘transseasonal’ trend and not just for holiday wear. Today, designers are inspired to launch new resortwear labels or introduce resortwear collections under existing fashion labels to take advantage of this growing demand. 

CFW Resort was introduced into the CFW calendar in 2012, and has since driven an increasing number of Sri Lankan designers to venture into the creation of resortwear collections each year.

“With resortwear as one of our formal seasons, we are ahead of the curve in creating a place in the region for this unique season and opening commercial opportunities for Sri Lankan designers. Once again, we are showcasing Galle Fort as an important tourist destination. At CFW, we look to continuously innovating in order to make a global impact for Sri Lankan fashion. In the run-up to CFW Resort 2016, preparations are well under way and we are covering a lot of ground,” says Ajai V. Singh, President of CFW.

Regarded as the backbone of the Sri Lankan fashion industry, CFW continues to create avenues for designers to gain recognition and commercial success. CFW Resort is presented by HSBC Sri Lanka, which shares CFW’s vision to raise the bar for Sri Lankan designers by providing them the opportunity to showcase their work on the most respected fashion platform in Sri Lanka. 

“Fashion has become a key element in our customers’ lifestyle. Many of them travel and are exposed to new trends that has made them more fashion conscious. We have also seen an increase in credit card spend when it comes to fashion and clothing which is the third largest category. Therefore, we see our partnership with the Colombo Fashion Week, as an ideal fit. We are more encouraged by the fact that the designers have made inroads into retailing their designer wear. HSBC has supported the show for over eight years and we want to see Sri Lankan consumers and designers benefit in the long run. We look forward to the fourth edition of the HSBC CFW Resort wear show in Galle,” said Nilantha Bastian, Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC.

Hosted by Jetwing Hotels, CFW Resort 2016 will take over the beautiful and historic city of Galle this season, with the world-famous Galle Fort serving as the focal point of all the CFW activities during the week of the shows. 

“At Jetwing, we believe in simple yet elegant concepts. We believe in creating the perfect space in which to breathe, to relax, and to live the best of all that Sri Lanka has to offer. Once again, Jetwing Lighthouse is proud to be the Official Host Partner of Colombo Fashion Week Resort, and we are delighted to return triumphantly to the vibrant and historic environs of Galle. Inspired by the rich history of this world famous city, Geoffrey Bawa’s masterpiece will once again be the perfect space in which talent astounds and creativity blazes. We look forward to the greatest Resort Show yet, and wish Ajai and his team all the very best,” said Ishanth Gunewardena, Marketing Director, Jetwing Hotels.

CFW Resort is also enriched by its partnerships with Land Rover, Unilever (Vaseline), Vision Care, Wineworld, OLU Tropical Water, Hameedia, Ramani Fernando Salons and Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide – who share and extend their support towards the vision and aspirations of CFW.

CFW Resort 2016 will kick-off its programme on Day 1 (1st October) at Jetwing Lighthouse, where ten emerging designers will present their collections. Twelve Sri Lankan designers and five international designers will showcase their latest resortwear collections over Day 2 and Day 3 (2nd and 3rd October) on a runway with a unique setting, at the Galle Fort. The line-up of leading Sri Lankan designers who will showcase collections at CFW Resort 2016 include; Ramona Oshini, INDI by Indeevari Yapa Abeywardena, CHARINI, Yasisurie, U  by Upeksha Hager, Conscience, G by Gihan Ediriweera, The Old Railway, KOCA, Hameedia, Arial, KASUN and Stefel by Peronie. Amongst the international designers who will show at CFW Resort 2016 are; Harare (USA), Lars Andersson (USA), Jason and Anshu (India) and Dan Single (Australia).

This season, CFW also presents Fashion+Food GALLE fort, with culinary partners in the fort presenting special all-day, dessert and beverages menus from 27 September to 4 October 2015. CFW also introduces for the first time, CFW Frame, which will present two exhibitions – Cityscapes and Forts by Branka Ridiki and Black and White Portraits by Dominic Sansoni, on 2 and 3 October 2015 at Villa Landesi . Also debuting this season is CFW Retail Walk, where select stores within the fort will offer visitors an enthralling shopping experience during the week of the shows. CFW Knowledge Workshops presents 'Phantasmagoria', a workshop on fashion photography conducted by celebrity photographer, Jatin Kampani, on 2 October 2015 at 11.00 a.m., at the Galle Room, Jetwing Lighthouse. CFW AfterParties presents 'Decked Out', a resort-chic themed after-party that will close the season with a bang.

CFW is one of four main Fashion Weeks in Asia that are over ten years old and, as a developmental project, is constantly creating innovative runway and retail opportunities for Sri Lankan designers to gain exposure and breakthrough into the global fashion arena. Continuing to inspire growth within the Sri Lankan fashion industry, CFW has propelled the careers of some of Sri Lanka’s most successful fashion designers. It is considered the most recognized fashion platform in Sri Lanka and one of the most respected in the region.

For more information on CFW Resort 2016, including designers and schedules, visit the official Colombo Fashion Week website (www.colombofashionweek.com). For the latest updates on runway shows, Fashion+Food, AfterParties, Workshops and behind-the-scenes activities, follow CFW on Facebook (www.facebook.com/colombofashionweek), Twitter (@colombofw) and Instagram (@colombofw)