|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Saturday, 24 January 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Evolving trends for 2004 : Janaki, the fragrance behind 'Flowers of Summer' by Prasad Abu Bakr
This being our third in the series of leading designers forecasting of what changes and improvements are due this year in their specialised field of work, this week the focus is upon Janaki de Soysa, the fragrance behind the success of 'Flowers of Summer'. She is considered as one of the country's floral designers who is not only leading in her field but is also one amongst the most creative in this sphere as proven by her through her work in recent times. "To see the world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower. To hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour" - William Blake English Poet, Artist and Engraver [1757-1827]
Arranging flowers became an obsession to Janaki de Soysa at a very young age. her ardent passion of creating her decorations with its vivid colours and shapes gave young Janaki an immense amount of pleasure right along, making her one of Sri Lanka's leading floral designers and a much sought after one at that. Her unusual creations did not go unnoticed when she went public with her work in the early eighties which led her to open-up her own business opposite her home down Dharmapala Mawatha which stands up to-date. With an experienced background probably unmatched in Sri Lankan standards, in her sphere of work Janaki de Soysa has decided that it's time that she let the rest of the world experience what she has to offer to them. as a first giant step towards this direction 'Flowers of Summer' is outward bound in the direction of the middle east in mid February. Along with an overseas based partner Janaki is enthusiastically working at bringing her first overseas outlet into being. The shop which will be based in Dubai will for the first time have as its work force, a team specially trained by Janaki in Colombo for the purpose. A winner of two outstanding awards SAARC Women of Exellence Award for 'Floral Art' in 2002 and the Zonta Women of Achievement Award in 1993 Janaki de Soysa commented that in comparison to when she started floral trends now have taken paths of many changes today. In fact bridal bouquets and other arrangements are getting smaller and simpler in design to the point of being an understatement. There is a demand for arrangements made of unusual naturally available materials rather than for elaborate arrangements spangled with pearls and beads or leaves and sprigs sprayed with silver or gold. In many of her recent creations the creative side of Janaki has afforded her to work with many natural materials such as weeds, different textures of grass both in their natural green and dried-up shades of rust or stone. Wild berries a variety of roots and strange foliage have found their way to some of Colombo's most sophisticated locations through Janaki's creative efforts. Most of the nouveau-art arrangements specially for bridal bouquets are patronised mostly by brides who favour western attire, says Janaki while stressing that the traditional Kandyan bride had always preferred an ethnic statement when it came to selecting her bouquet. Lotus' Water Lilies, Jasmins, Frangipane or Paddy are amongst the popular items selected by them. As the Gujarati drape is still one of the many popular going away attires garlands of Jasmine have remained a popular going away accessory and should remain so for some time to come. Some of the bridal designers come-up with many unusual styles, specially when it comes to draping the sari these days and this, she states gives her an unlimited amount of freedom to come up with new creations for bouquets. More and more people are beginning to realise the importance of the minimalist trend that has invaded the globe in all fields ranging from fashion to interiors. the 'less is more' attitude is fast catching on and will go places in 2004. The idea that flowers should be springing out from every nook and corner of the venue, be it a wedding or any other social function is going out of mode. As for example the arrangements that adorned the occasion of well known hair dresser Ramani Fernando's daughter's wedding recently represented an ultra-vogue quality to it never seen around before. The arrangements first introduced by her at this wedding have found itself such great headway that it is being reproduced at many hotel functions in recent times, which by itself makes Janaki proud of her creative efforts. "I am purely a floral designer", exclaims Janaki, almost earmarking her passion for her chosen field of work, as if she fears that one would think otherwise. One cannot actually blame her in the present scenario where everything has become more than complicated by designers threading into other peoples area of work. Janaki takes pride in declaring that she has worked with a cross section of designers today both old and new. She feels that most of them have their own style and a keen sense of responsibility towards what they are doing. With her wide experience she has found that most brides prefer to select the style and size of the bouquet that they are going to carry. "It is natural that they do so and I feel very happy that the brides are content with their own selections rather than be uncomfortable about it on their wedding day" Besides managing a vast business which involves a lot of dedication and discipline Janaki has become a source of encouragement to farmers who have switched over to floriculture, specially for the ones from the Uva province where she has set-up a large floriculture programme encouraging a better revenue amongst these people. The impeccable quality of flowers currently being grown in this province are comparable to any imported flowers or foliage, in fact they can be sometimes found to be even better, states Janaki. At times, she uses simple greenery growing by the wayside to add some glamour to her arrangements. she has created a source of income amongst rural folk by encouraging them to grow these wild flowers, foliage or weeds which she uses very often in her creations. There are more than 40 arrangements on order on a daily basis from her shop, says Janaki who has had the great honour of decorating and appointing many of Colombo's state and private functions of distinction. Rather a hectic lifestyle one may exclaim but it is not unusual to find Janaki attending to one of her arrangements just about to be delivered to one of her clients while it is still lying in the shop. Janaki is not absorbed by her work merely for the financial benefits it yields as much as for the love of it. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
