olu Swim Week Colombo

Introducing another edition of Swim Week Colombo which will take place on 12th and 13th November founder and President of CFW Ajai Vir Singh said “This show will be a season of hope through positivity held in a responsible manner. The event is close to the December season and also is a wedding time, which will capture consumers. We intend to showcase these messages through luxury resortwear.”

Sri Lanka is fast becoming a popular location for destination weddings and keeping his finger on the pulse of the region's fashion requirements Singh is keen to encourage Sri Lankan designers to take advantage of this burgeoning market segment.

Commenting on the overall format of the show Singh explained “It’s a new format overall. The show is very interesting this year. The first day, it will be held at the grand ballroom, Shangri La which has a beautiful size so the set is going to look marvellous.  Day 2 is at a venue provided by Sail Lanka and that place is interesting as well. This will enable creativity and help us come up with new things there. It’s a new format.”

Sri Lanka is fast becoming a popular location for destination weddings and keeping his finger on the pulse of the region's fashion requirements Singh is keen to encourage Sri Lankan designers to take advantage of this burgeoning market segment

This season Singh has selected environment is luxury as its theme. The responsible fashion summit which is very much a part of Colombo Fashion Week's agenda will be held at the Shangri La with the support of the JAAF Sri Lanka apparel. This event will bring together both international and local stakeholders to discuss the betterment of the industry.
Singh’s ambitious dream has been to make Sri Lanka the fashion hub of South Asia. Commenting on his plan Singh said “It’s a journey. It’s going to take a long time to get there. There is an infusion and influence that comes in South Asia in terms of fashion, craft and various other things. That gives rise to a very defined South Asian identity. You see our designers here, Charini and Indi, they’ve been on the journey over 10 years. It’s always a journey and as we evolve these influences will come and have a stronger Asian kind of  look. My issue with the debate is why do people say Western Wear vs Ethnic Wear. It should be South Asian Wear or Eastern Wear. That is why I want to give prominence to our designers here. That is the kind of South Asian idea I have in mind. Plus, when it comes to sustainability we are far ahead among many Asian nations. If you are more sustainable, you are more ahead in providing solutions. So we want to take the lead in being leaders of sustainability, leaders in solutions. We are launching a type of metre which will evaluate garments and look at the score the garment has based on sustainability. Those are the unique things we have done.” Singh also explained that based on the quality and season, they  have chosen designers. “We have also considered how they have presented their collections, which reflects the current situation in society. The theme will showcase the ‘new normal’ and self-sustainability in a luxurious manner,” he added.

Organising and executing an event of this nature requires collaborations with industry stakeholders. This year CFW will partner with Ramani Fernando Salons, NTB, Sail Lanka, Shangri La and Visioncare to present Olu Swimwear Colombo.