Voice of Commonwealth

Nipunika Fernando – bringing in the Sri Lankan aesthetics.

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Today we write about Nipunika Fernando who likes bringing the Sri Lankan aesthetics into fashion. Nipunika always knew she wanted to go into a design field but was unsure about which one. So towards the end of school, she began exploring design, making costumes and discovered a love for storytelling in film and how costumes played a role in this. In her eyes how your first impression of a character is how they look. Similarly in the real world, people use their personal style to give you a glimpse into their personality and she wanted to be a part of how individuals expressed themselves through fashion.

Everyone has inspirations for their desires so we asked what her were. She says one of her biggest inspirations is Sri Lankan aesthetics and merging them with more contemporary garments. She finds great inspiration by visiting craft communities and seeing artisans create incredible artworks and textiles, and this usually informs what direction she will go in a new collection. She also use traditional motifs in her work and translate these into various textile prints. The most recent being the Sanni masks, inspired by Kolam and ritual dances from the south of the island.

We were also curious as to who Nipunika looked up to in the industry so we asked her. She stated that one person she particularly look up to in the industry is Lonali Rodrigo, founder of House of Lonali who upcycles unwanted, deadstock fabric into wearable garments and accessories. She has managed to turn recycling and upcycling into something quite cool and at its core utilizes a great sustainable practice. Nipunika thinks that for anyone in fashion we need to re-think how we incorporate sustainability into our process and ensure it is a core value for our work moving forward. Having sustainability rooted in your practice is important for the future of fashion and the world. Her team has incorporated this in our brands by using natural biodegradable fabrics, eco-friendly printing methods and make sure to upcycle any fabric waste as well.

Nipunika has a 10 year plan and she would like to continue expanding her couturier work and establish her current brands. Another goal of hers is to include more heritage crafts in both fields and expand internationally to provide global exposure to this incredible craft sector and century’s old sustainable design practices. She hopes she will be able to help provide stability to this craft sectors as well, as they are such an integral part of the communities that practice them. She would also love to explore film and theatre further and work with as many great storytelling minds as possible!

There is always international fashion so what is international fashion to Nipunika. For her it is streetwear, ethnic fusion, and the understanding of moving towards ethical fashion. She believes that while there are many aesthetics unique to different parts of the globe and certain overarching trends, the largest common denominator is ethical fashion. Fashion design internationally has been moving towards natural fabrics, craft-focused design and production that is good for those making garments, those wearing them, and the environment. Consumers are also invested in knowing about how the clothes are made, and she believes this shift internationally has been immense and is growing by the day.

We asked Nipunika If there was one thing she could change in the local industry, what it would be. She says that it would have to be the perception of Sri Lankan clothing. For a long time, designers and consumers have been hyper-focused on global and, particularly, western fashion trends. Now however, more local designers and brands are veering towards a Sri Lankan centric aesthetic and making local design desirable and fashion-forward. People have also started getting more comfortable with this trend, so she hopes the mindset towards this type of fashion becomes more positive. The idea of a truly Sri Lankan fashion identity is exciting, and she hopes we get to see more of it in the near future.

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