Behind the scenes of ‘Ideators’ - episode 7:

Topping the task

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Suraaj tries on Team Lion Heart's almost complete men’s top

A designer at Hirdaramani briefs the contestants on the task

Team Reflex led by Lara search for raw material in Pamunuwa

Adam tries on Reflex's menswear item

Suraaj briefs his team on the colour palette

‘Ideators’ fans are still reeling over the shock of Lara’s move to team Reflex in episode 6.

From the number of unhappy faces and disagreeable comments which keep popping up on the reality television show’s Facebook wall, one almost wonders if it is Lion Heart who took the blow by to see one of their members being placed on ‘enemy’ camp.

Take it from Suraaj, the lad with ‘a big heart’ who paid the price of getting carried away with his imaginations and being eliminated as a result. Asked if the team felt the loss of Lara, Suraaj was quick to respond with a, “YES! Yes, yes, yes!” mimicking his former team mate’s tone and habit of adding three ‘yes’s to stress a point.

“Lara was the element in Lion Heart that kept everything in order! If we break down the roles that everyone played, Lara was the anchor. She kept us on track. She had a keen sense for when things were going amiss or taking too long or dwelling on something that may not work or stalling. She had a way of righting it all back! I think the team was able to regain its composure after this round and compensate for our lack of Lara, but until we did, it was a bit chaotic,” the Academy of Design student further added.

Reflex proved to be the underdog last Saturday by winning the task set by Hirdaramani group. The challenge was to design a ladies top and a men’s top to go with the company’s signature brand L. i. C. C. Jeans. Nimanthie led team Lion Heart while Lara was Reflex’s team leader.

Queried if she missed the Lion Heart team Lara admitted that she yearned for the bond that she had formed with the group.

“Yes, yes, yes! I missed Lion Heart a lot! I was used to the way we worked and I loved the bond we had formed. Reflex was completely different and did not have the same energy level Lion Heart had. I found Lion Heart, as a whole, to be a bit more resourceful and experienced. It was a good thing that my first challenge with Reflex was fashion related so I could contribute significantly,” she said.

Speaking about her experiences in working with Reflex, the student from the London College of France adds, “I did enjoy the cool, calm aura Reflex had. That toned me down during nervous fits. It was interesting working with them. Adam is very different from Udana as a marketer. He is more cool while Udana more aggressive. Alex is a very rational person, likes to think things through. Dre is also quiet, never saying much. It was a complete opposite to the noisy Lion Heart I was coming from.”

When it came to shopping and bargaining for items for the task, a keen eye might have noticed that Indrajith was nowhere in the picture. That was because Lara, Adam and Alex had left him back at the hotel to work on the designs.

“The reasoning behind it was it would give Dre the chance to get our designs drawn up. We utilised his skills as a graphic designer opposed to a translator. We did have a guide who we believed would be able to translate for us,” Alex explained on how desperate circumstances needed desperate measures.

They had to overcome another hurdle when Adam became ill and had to be taken to hospital. Did being one member short have any impact on Reflex’s work?

“Adam is always such a pivotal member of the team but we managed without him. The rest of the team worked harder to ensure we were covering all bases. We just wanted to see Adam get better,” Alex answered.

Spearheading the project Lara and her team were able to design the perfect tops which complements L. i. C. C. Jeans. Asked if having Lara for Reflex is a bonus point Alex said, “Absolutely. Lara brought so much knowledge and expertise from fashion to Reflex which was invaluable on the first task we had with her in the group.”

The sunny yellow and the beige tones of the tops tastefully displayed on the mannequins took everyone’s breath away. Boy, what I would not do for that top coupled with a L. i. C. C. Jean! No wonder Adam wanted to take the menswear item home.

Interestingly it was not only the guys who were enthralled by Reflex’s men’s top. Alex said that she would have loved to gift to her fiancé or any male family member. The Northumbria University student also said that the women’s top suited the brand perfectly.

Compared with Lion Heart’s design, Reflex’s products topped the charts. No wonder Nimanthie declared her dissatisfaction and Suraaj started having second thoughts.

“When the judges told me that I delved too much or clung onto the mythology factor for too long, I have to say I do agree with them. I mean, I felt like I saw it start for fail, but I also felt like I wanted to stick to my guns and make it work somehow. I stand by the fact that it could have worked, but I suppose the execution of it could have been better, if I look at it objectively,” Suraaj unraveled his thoughts.

On his elimination he notes, “I knew it would be me this time. Nimmi was convinced it would be her because she was the leader. But I could sense that my time had run out.

Luckily, I was in what I like to call my ‘Blood stained Sunday's best’.”

Before heading for the exist he turns around with a cheeky smile, winks and quips to Daily News ‘Punch’, “Hope my exit will be marked like those of kings!”

Catch British Council’s ‘Ideators’ every Saturday on Independence Television Network (ITN) at 9 pm. Who will be eliminated next? Indrajith, Udana, Alex, Lara, Adam or Nimanthie? Any guesses everyone?