Integrating Nature Elements With High-Fashion: Natharlea Yahampath

Fashion is beauty that illuminates from your soul; it is a freeze-frame representation of your beliefs, values, and virtues that reflect how you see life along with other thought processes.

Fashion and nature are inseparably linked. With the passage of time, designers are looking for more sustainably sourced options in order to avoid contributing to contaminating waste that harms Mother Earth - Natharlea is a great example of a premium brand that fully adheres to this discipline and shapes their outfits with a sense of community in mind.

We had the absolute pleasure in meeting the founder herself, Natharlea Yahampath, who took time out of her busy schedule to share her groundbreaking story with us. The enthusiasm for her Fall/Winter ‘Poison’ collection has stemmed from the roots of the Amazon Rainforest as well as the bushfires that took place recently. The conceptual idea conveyed by her outfits is simply divine! While the designs are sourced organically with cotton and natural bird feather yarns, factory waste, alpaca, and so on, the prints and artwork are all done with leather and denim. The packaging is also made of 95% banana fibre, 5% recycled paper, and other sustainable materials, totaling hundred percent eco-friendly packaging.

With that being said, prepare for a revelation as we introduce to you the genius of something game-changing!

Who exactly is ‘Natharlea?’ Tell us a little bit about yourself and your recently launched fashion brand.

I'm a wife, a mother of a two-year-old little boy, and the Founder of the Luxury Brand "Natharlea," where we collaborate with the international fashion market. I also work for five well-renowned brands as a Creative Design Consultant. Since my childhood, I have always been fashion-forward experimenting and trying to come up with multiple styles of my own was something that I loved to do. I have a very distinct and sharp sense of fashion, which I believe has led me to stand out in a large crowd wherever I go!

Natharlea is a lively brand that walks alongside many people, bringing love, happiness, power, honesty, creativity, and trust. Natharlea empowers people to make significant changes in the fashion industry by utilizing eco-friendly processes and procedures, as well as providing true value to design through the use of "smart craft". The garments we wear are not merely products; they are a combination of beautiful stories created by lovely souls and their magical hands!

Natharlea is not just another fashion brand but is one that is created with a lot of hope for the underprivileged. Buying Natharlea clothing symbolizes the hopes and dreams of another wonderful soul! This is because, while designer fees are typically very low, the craftsmen involved in the production process of these garments (80% of which are knitwear) are paid higher wages, deviating from the concept of cheap labour in Sri Lanka. As a result, Natharlea garments are high-end and sold at premium prices.

What inspired you to name your brand after yourself?

I am usually identified as a very soulful character. Consequently, I thought it would be a value addition to the brand if I name it after me; as a lively brand that brings joy, trust, hope and love to people, I thought this was the best decision for its future. My intention was to align my personal values with those of my brand because, as a fashion designer, I am selfless, futuristic, creative, and responsible. I believe in myself wholeheartedly, so naming the brand after me was a way to lay a solid foundation of trust and confidence for the rest of the community.

How did you get the idea for Natharlea? Any form of inspiration?

Natharlea was inspired by several concepts, including the ocean, Mother Earth, and Godliness. The Ocean defines how it spreads all over the Earth in a supportive manner, enlightening the lives of others and spreading that light indefinitely, as well as by the under-water beauty that is beyond imagination. Mother Earth depicts Natharlea as a caring and a responsible fashion brand that brings hope to its people and spreads positive vibes. God has been an inspiration because everyone worships, trusts, and loves Him as the creator. Accordingly, God inspired Natharlea to be a brand that everyone loves, trusts, and considers it an honour to own.

What are the most popular pieces among your customers from the Natharlea Fall/Winter 2020 'Poison' collection?

‘The Queen of Amazon’ and ‘The Burnt Samaumeira’ were the most popular pieces from the 'Poison' collection. ‘The Queen of Amazon’ expresses the idea of a Queen walking across the beautiful Amazon Rainforest, admiring its beauty. This dress represents a hidden splendor that has been safeguarded for years. As you walk through the Amazon, you can consider it to be protected and magnificently clean compared to the rest of the world. It resembles the curves of a pan and demonstrates the beauty of the Amazon River's rhythm. ‘The Burnt Samaumeira’ is a key garment inspiration and is also the tallest tree in the Amazon Rainforest. The butterflies come to rest on its trunk on a daily basis. The polluted route, which illustrates the ashes from burned trees and other materials, adds to the mix of inspiration.

This dress will be styled with one side of the chest exposed, that will be covered separately by a leather bustier, similar to a one-shoulder bustier. It expresses that the heart of the Amazon has no oxygen to breathe because it is all polluted and burned, which is why it is covered with a leather bustier.

Any other products or services you would like to let your customers be aware of?

Adding to Natharlea’s Fall/Winter 2020 ‘Poison’ Collection is ‘The Story Teller’ and ‘The Burnt Bush’.

'The Story Teller' is a lovely gown that is inspired by a very rare bird, the White Bellbird. It acts as a storyteller, spreading the word about how polluted the Amazon is. The print of newspapers on the garment clearly shows how polluted the Amazon is and how it is suffering as a result of human violence. This particular attire includes an inner garment to express the wearer's protection. It denotes that she is completely shielded, carrying all of her good hopes as well as her happy & beautiful memories. The striking art of a large tree's twisted roots at Amazon and a Bead Orea orchid inspired 'The Burnt Bush.' The flower bud serves as the stimulus for this silhouette's volume. This creation clearly expresses the mood of the Amazon Rain Forest's burnt texture due to harmful activities of reckless humans.

What is Natharlea’s mission & vision?

Our vision is to be a luxury designer brand that carries significant value and hope to innocent lives while supporting their families, improving sustainability and eco-friendliness. Personally, I want to be understood as a "woman with many hands," supported by many and assisting a larger community that brings hope to them. Furthermore, Natharlea's mission is to see a world where wearing our own knitwear garments is regarded as a blessing because we are responsible for the future, bringing design to life. As my personal quest, I want to be futuristic by creating a completely different empire, being a light to people and bringing a smile to their faces through the use of this designer brand. This is supported by the fact that we all believe that the world's future depends on fostering hope and sustainability. Therefore, we genuinely want to help individuals make a living by paying higher wages and educating the youth as both an esteemed brand and a designer.

In five years’ time, where do you see "Natharlea"?

Natharlea will cater to Hollywood celebrities and succeed as an international brand, all while improving the sustainability of the fashion industry.

Do you have any business advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

As a girl who has loved fashion since she was a child, I can only encourage you to always follow your heart, walk with honesty, and selflessness as this is the key to success! As a responsible fashion designer, I would like to advise all aspiring entrepreneurs in business to work on minimizing the harmful impact that the fashion industry can cause, removing the community's negative perception of fashion being dirty. This is primarily due to the fact that we must not allow the fashion industry to die while ensuring that we do not harm the environment as a result of rising fashion demands. It must be a win-win situation in which the fashion industry cooperates with sustainable practices followed by fashion entrepreneurs in order to make Mother Earth a more enchanting and better place for us and future generations.

Anything additional that you want to let everyone know?

Natharlea is more than just a brand; it is a story in and of itself, as it is a brand with a life force and many hands. Frankly, I just want to remind everyone that we need to be more responsible when working in the fashion industry and all other industries in order to preserve Mother Nature's beauty.