Niroshani Leanage's creative initiative:

Lifting fashion industry to the top

Niroshani Leanage Picture by Rukmal Gamage

Fashion trends are notoriously fickle. The fashion industry is always on the hunt for what's new and what's hot. For every new, must-have garment there's another that gets tossed aside because it is the 'old look'

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Niroshani Leanage is a dynamic personality who keeps in step with this ever changing scenario. As the the Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology (LIFT) Studies Director, Leanage paces with the most happening trends in the world of glitz and glamour.

"We are known for technical and creative capability. We train our students on both designs as well as technical aspects. They get a chance to explore new ideas as well as manufacture garments at the Institute," she noted.

Sri Lanka is well known for garment manufacturing. LIFT promotes individual designers to introduce new designs to the market as well as look towards a future in which anybody and everybody can wear a designer outfit. "We have commercial wear as well as Avant garde wear which are in the more high fashion category. It is not very commercial. It is mainly used to display their creativity. Students use many types of material to create the portfolio that signifies the whole aspect of their creations," Leanage said adding that one of the students had even used graffiti as the essence of her collection.

There is no denying that the human race is characterized by an everlasting desire for change. They may be for better or for worse, but it is the essence of change that really matters.

Classic and mesmerizing

Blending colours to create

"It is very difficult to predict the 'in thing' in Sri Lanka because we usually get the hand-me downs. Balloon skirts were once the vogue. Many Asian countries overlooked this fad till they began to realize that the garment set off a stunning look. They too were drawn in and the skirt took on different lengths. Long dresses with long slits for evening formal wear is the rage today. You can also go for really short dresses teaming them up with stockings," the creative fashion professional mused on the ever changing face of fashion.

A product of Good Shepherd's Convent, Kotahena, and Bishop Cotton Women Christian College, Bangalore, Leanage was faced with a choice of choosing a profession in medicine or business. She chose the latter because she wished to take a quick but effective pathway to entrepreneurship.

Another reason for the option was the fact that her parents owned a garment factory in Kandana. She would pick up leftover pieces and design garments for herself even at a tender age.

She studied the subject at the JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore, before returning to Sri Lanka to set up LIFT with her mother. In 2006 she did her Masters in Business Administration in the UK.

She stresses that excelling in the industry is not easy. You need commitment as well as a flair for creativity. For some, mixing and matching is an inborn talent but today the industry has grown and gone far beyond the level of what you can do armed with only your own creative talent. You need professional guidance.

"Embellishments and colour coordination must come together. A designer's mind basically works with colour, patterns and the technical aspect. It is like baking a cake. If one ingredient is missing you have a disaster on your hands," Leanage highlighted some fashion secrets. She noted: "Inspiration is all around me. I see a lot of new talent coming in. I encourage my students and promote their work if I see that it is up to standard. If they see me wearing one of their creations they are ecstatic because they know that I have accepted their creations. I am not looking to send thousands of designers to the field. I want everyone who joins to get at least one lesson out of me."