The Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) 2011, organised for the third consecutive year by the Academy of Design, kicked off yesterday evening at the Mount Lavinia Hotel with the grand opening of the Island Craft Exhibition followed by the Island Crafts Fashion Show.
The exhibits on display were a fusion of tradition and modernity that reflected the beauty and uniqueness of Sri Lankan traditional artistry. Products including apparels, utensils and interiors made of handloom and batik textiles, beeralu, Lac-work, brass ware, ceramics, Palmyrah, cane, paper, shell and coir created by hundreds of artisans from rural areas of Sri Lanka were on display and available for purchase at the Pop-up store. The fashion show expanded on the theme with clothing and accessories inspired by traditional crafts.
At the press conference held before the launch of the event, the Founder of the SLDF and Managing Director of the Academy of Design, Linda Speldewinde, described the festival as not just fashion event, but as a public-private partnership that captures “the essence of our country” and promotes Sri Lanka’s potential in making a mark in the global design industry.
Over the course of this five day festival, workshops, exhibitions, fashion shows, forums and discussions open to students, artisans, the industry and design enthusiasts from all backgrounds will conceptualise the theme of this year’s SLDF, ‘Close-up on Sri Lanka and Design for Sustainable Development’.
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