Due to the current globalization, immigration and role of immigrants in economy of Italy, Pageant organizers of “Miss Italy” had decided to run “Miss Italia” competition under the name of “Miss Italia nel Mondo,” or else, “ Contestants of Miss Italy with foreign roots.” This competition is open to foreign beauties aged 18-26 with the Italian background (citizen). This year the final selection will commence on Septemeber 9th and Nayomi Andibadhuge will be fighting for this year crown with other European beauties.

We, Lanka Help Magazine is proud of Nayomi Andibaduge, who represents Sri Lanka in a Global level beauty pageant. We wish you all the best Nayomi!

The store has a single floor at street level with 195 m2 of selling space, with excellent visibility, ample access and parking facilities. MANGO features a range of Women’s wear, from trendy casual wear and smart wear to glamour evening wear and also carries a range of accessories for all the fashionistas in town. Priced very affordably, Mango epitomizes style, convenience and versatility and is a must-stop for all ladies during the Season. The interior design of this new store combines functionality with wabi aesthetics, a Japanese term which describes objects or ambiences characterized by their rustic simplicity, combined with a minimalist composition with the warmth of objects originating from nature.

MANGO is an internationally famous multinational which designs, manufactures and markets women’s and men’s clothing and accessories. Spanish high-street clothing chain Mango is pursuing its international expansion and staying true to its aim of being present in each of the main cities in the world with the opening of its first store in Sri Lanka. The low-price fashion chain launched in the Barcelona area in 1984 and has expanded worldwide since its first stores outside Spain opened in Portugal in 1992. MANGO currently has a total of 2,060 stores in 104 countries worldwide with the recent openings have taken place in cities of the stature of Tokyo, Beijing, Erlangen or Verona.

The MANGO’s highly-defined concept is based on an alliance between a quality product, with an original design and a coherent and unified brand image. All the lines in the MANGO collection can be combined with different accessories: shoes, bags, belts, costume jewellery, MANGO has created a diverse collection so that every woman will find garments, form the pure basics to the most fashionable, which match her style and her personality. Dressing the modern, urban women for her daily needs is the formula they have analyzed, adapted and applied in all the countries in which MANGO is present: it has been and remains one of the keys to their commercial success and international prestige.

All their stores are in prime locations, either in shopping centers or in city centers. In order to display their collections, stores have dimensions which make it possible to maintain the interior design, image and product display criteria they have designed in order to create a pleasant environment in which customers can enjoy the shopping experience.

Jacqueline Fernandez was the epitome of elegance as she honored the event, dressed in befitting styles of the 1920’s-an era that defined the highest sense of fashion and established itself as the age of style and elegance. Perfect in every way, from her hair-do and makeup to her eye catching dress and entrance, Jacqueline Fernandez espoused the timeless grace and elegance that have always been the foundation of Colombo Jewellery Stores.

Speaking at the grand occasion, Jacqueline Fernandez said, “I’m most honoured to be here as the brand ambassador for CJS at yet another hallmark unveiling of designer jewellery, because I have always strongly believed that beauty is not simply about what you see, but about what is deep within. And that CJS has displayed in abundance, being very unchanging in its brand values and brand promise.”

Jacqueline Fernandez was the personification of beauty, charm and glamour and she looked pertinently stunning in a 1920’s designed gown, bold makeup and her elaborately styled hair, not to mention the intricately designed jewellery, giving the unmistakable aura, reminiscent of the roaring 20’s.

“Kandygs have worked with bamboo fabrics for a while and we have imported bamboo yarn as similar way we import cotton yarn and have already done a collection of products. We bring down bamboo yarn and dye them here in our factories and hand weaves the fabrics out of that yarn. We have already started exporting bamboo yarn fabrics to many countries for which we have quite a good demand since it’s a purely eco-friendly product which is produced by using 100 percent natural raw materials,” said the Design Director of Kandygs Pvt Ltd, Anuradha Yahampath.

The bamboo fabrics, known for its luxurious feeling on the skin, is soft like cashmere and shines like silk, and is perfect for our climate as it is permeable and breathes actively thereby cooling the body. What’s more amazing about this fabric is the fact that it does not stick to the body, but holds its shape well. Bamboo is the largest member of grass family and the fastest growing woody plant. It grows in diverse climates, making the bamboo plant a sustainable and versatile resource.  Bamboo has many ecological advantages through sustainable land use, grows easily without pesticides or fertilizers. It regenerates after harvesting without a need for  re-planting and is a good carbon sink. It can also be grown easily in river banks in Sri Lanka which in turn will help to prevent soil erosion.

The fashion statements these bamboo fabrics can make, is amazing that if you could step into their newly located store, there you will find an array of shawls, clothes and materials, which are perfect for a night out in the town, and the colours and designs that have been used makes you brighten up instantly.

“We showcased a collection of fashion wear made with bamboo fabric at the recently concluded Design Festival. Our objective of this was to show the fantastic properties of the bamboo fabric that are suitable for clothing,” she says adding that the response she got has been very positive but admits that there is a long way to go.

There are so many skilled handloom manufacturers in our country that don’t have the correct guidance to produce good and quality products which has a higher market potential in overseas. Kandygs have introduced and trained them to use bamboo yarn which they can use to produce better ecological product which has a high demand in locally and internationally. The Ministry of Economic Development through setting up and equipping a Centre to coordinate the work of the weavers as well as to facilitate sales supported the project.

At a recent fashion show held in Colombo, thirty five models dressed as brides in handloom sarees, showcased the elegance of locally handcrafted sarees and textiles. First Lady Shiranthi Rajapakse, who was the chief guest, said she would only wear handloom sarees in future in order to assist the local industry.

The Sri Lankan handloom textile industry is centuries old, with a long history in trading textiles with nations like India, China and Middle Eastern countries, and is one of the oldest traditional crafts on the island.
The introduction of modern trends in combination with traditional designs, woven in new processing techniques, has made Sri Lankan handlooms gain a foothold in the competitive international market as well in recent times.
The local handloom textile industry is a highly labour intensive, rural based industry generating high returns. Hand woven items are unique in comparison to other textile products due to its special characteristics. Being mostly cotton based, it demonstrates excellent fabric handling properties partly due to its weaving method.

In Sri Lankan there are around 962 private handloom producers in small, medium and large-scale units and the industry as a whole provides employment to around 15,000 persons. During the last few years the industry has recorded a rapid growth rate, with exports of handloom products increasing from Rs.l04 million in 2000 to Rs.135 million in 2005.

Among the items in demand in the export market are, soft toys made out of handloom fabrics, hand woven materials such as curtaining, furnishing, bed and table linen, bath and kitchen linen, and cushion covers, etc. These items are presently being exported to some of the most discriminating markets in the world. Books, notebooks, albums, and even writing pads are now made with this handcrafted textile.

According to industry sources the major export markets are USA, UK, South Korea, France, Australia, Netherlands, Sweden and Japan.

Sri Lanka’s handloom products, due to their special characteristics, have been able to compete successfully with machine-made fabrics and are fast gaining popularity both locally and internationally.

Otara will be contributing to this special edition under the category ‘Gem Visions India’. The Swarovski trend book is put together with the aim of challenging the conventions and clichés of traditional jewellery.

“I was honored to have received the invitation from Swarovski to be a part of this revolutionary trend and design book, and to represent Sri Lanka,” says Otara.

The glittering Swarovski Gem Vision 2012 book launch was held in early August at the Renaissance Hotel, Mumbai and was followed by a fashion show featuring Bollywood actresses and supermodels.

‘Swarovski Gem Visions’ originated to stimulate creativity in design and manufacture, and to influence the jewellery industry. In keeping with its thinking, select designers were invited to contribute their own unique designs which would reveal new trends and directions for 2012.

The Swarovski brand was founded in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski, a Bohemian inventor and visionary who moved to the village of Wattens, Tyrol in Austria with his newly invented machine for cutting and polishing crystal stones. Today Swarovski has become the world’s leading producer of precision-cut crystals for fashion jewellery, branching out recently into lighting, architecture and interiors.

Meanwhile, Otara’s latest jewellery design was a 24 Carat Gold Bracelet themed ‘Incredible’. Inspired by ‘Beeralu’ – a hand woven lace produced in the southern regions of Sri Lanka – the delicate piece is intricately set with champagne and white crystals.

Sri Lanka’s first ever Celebrity Jewellery line “Otara”, is being marketed by Otara Gunewardene in collaboration with Colombo Jewellery Stores. The collection consists of a line of contemporary Jewellery set in White and Rose Gold, Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphires, Garnets and Topaz – all designed by Otara.

Maintaining the signature ‘O’ in its styling, the “Otara” collection is currently on display at Colombo Jewellery Stores at Alfred House Gardens, Crescat Boulevard and ODEL.

As part of their award, Charini and Kanchana got the opportunity to undergo an intensive three months training under ethical fashion and business experts from the UK and Sri Lanka to develop a lingerie and dress collection for the European market.

What is their brand philosophy? “Our philosophy is to create real luxury through celebrating design, reviving heritage crafts in Sri Lanka, considering the welfare of the environment and ultimately eliminating metal, plastics or harmful dyeing. We care about the wellbeing of the woman who wears are products.”

Luxury eco lingerie brand ‘Charini’ celebrates the beauty of Beeralu lace by working with community groups in rural Sri Lanka. Charini Suriyage will be showcasing her collection at the London Fashion Week Esthetica in September. Charini who studied at the University of Moratuwa (BA fashion design), is currently completing an MA in Design Management at London College of Fashion.

Beeralu lace making was introduced to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese in the 16th century and developed by the Dutch in the 17th century. It gained recognition as a cottage industry among the women living on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka. With the introduction of modern designs, innovative designers such as Charini are taking this beautiful craft into the world stage.

Kanchana Talpawila will display her Ready-to-wear eco brand ‘K T Brown’ collection at PURE London in August. Inspired by iconic Sri Lankan artist Ena De Silva, Kanchana inputs her own innovative pattern techniques using circles as a base for the structure of the garment. The vibrant K T Brown collection also supports sustainable livelihoods and fabrics, sourced locally.

Kanchana supports sustainable livelihoods, using locally-sourced fabrics and garments exclusively made by her team in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The design professionals who worked alongside the two designers included, award winning designer Orsola de Castro – Founder of Reclaimed To Wear, Filippo Ricci, Claire Hamer from E8ight ethical fashion consultancy, ethical fashion consultant Elizabeth Laskar, Soozie Jenkinson and Paschal Little from M&S, Subramaniam Eassuwaren from Carbon Consulting Company and Ajay Amalean from MAS Holdings Sri Lanka.

“Recognizing, nurturing and launching designers is essential to sustain a healthy fashion industry and as the world increasingly operates as a global village, breaking geographical boundaries is our future. The SLDF Ethical Fashion Designer Award is a bridge, a journey of discovery and cultural intermix, an opportunity for young designers to think of design as a universal language, understood by all”, says Orsola de Castro, Founder of award winning eco brand ‘From Somewhere’.