Brand to bring in Rs 1 b exports:

Sri Lanka Peace Collection

One-to-one business meeting drives SME exports:

The global retailers including top names such as Asos, Warehouse, M&S, Seasalt, Frugi, Bibico and Top Shop met with over twenty Sri Lankan export companies and brand label owners to find links to global markets at the Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) 2010.

Sri Lanka Design Festival Founder Core Team Member Rohantha Athukorala said SLDF 2010 edition was unique given that it linked the Sri Lankan economy by linking products from rural Sri Lanka with artisans, SME apparel exporters and global retailers that gave the business dimension to the event.

A landmark decision was made to launch a Sri Lanka Peace Collection that can bring in one billion rupees in export value to Sri Lanka. This will be the CSR project of the Sri Lanka Design Festival.

The Peace Collection will be the brand that will connect rural Sri Lanka produce with the international markets, said Athukorala. Some of the merchandise from the apparel collections that were showcased at the fashion shows of SLDF 2010 will be picked to come under the Peace Collection targeting the major US chains like Macy’s and top retailers in the UK with donor funding from organizations such as UNIDO for supply chain development.

Macy’s CEO Terry Lungren who already carries the Rwanda Peace Collection in the MACY’s New York store had already committed to support Sri Lanka’s Peace Collection brand.

“The Peace Collection has the potential of becoming a key livelihood opportunity for villages that can bring in a net Rs one billion to the people who have been resettled in the North of Sri Lanka. The overall branding and promotional strategy has been finalized and now all that is required is the product range,” said Athukorala.