On 27 August, The Gatz at Cinnamon Life saw a spectacular sight: Buddhi Batiks, the batik masters of Sri Lanka, launched an exquisite high-tea experience that brought heritage to modern elegance. Hosted under the title “An Afternoon of Tradition and Elegance,” the event was nothing but a sartorial wonder.
Against the elegant scenery of The Gatz, visitors enjoyed dainty pastries and scented teas while models clad in Buddhi Batiks strolled through the room like silken ghosts. Such decadent storytelling and seaside nostalgia-conscious clothes are not akin to other fads of the times but breathe and rebirth an age-old art with elegance and poise.
Central to all design is Darshi Keerthisena, the innovative creative director ushering Buddhi Batiks into the modern era yet firmly based in traditional artisanship. Genius as she is, she besets the very batik art of Sri Lanka with simplicity through a new perspective—be it chiffon, satin, or silk, or maybe digital prints on recycled fabric with environmentally sensitive waterless dyes.
Buddhi Batiks’ values-based business honors woman power and solidarity. The atelier at Koswadiya, overlooking Sri Lanka’s northwest coast, continues to employ local women artisans—a few who have labored for the brand diligently since its early days in the 1970s.
However, the most notable aspect of this reinvention is seen in the Batik Bridals, which are wedding attire outfits that defy conventions and can be worn multiple times. No longer reserved for once only, these dresses excel beyond events as a means for brides to re-encounter them as formal evening outfits; sentiment and sustainability complement each other thus.
At the Gatz event, these qualities were felt in each fold and color. Motifs conjured waves, flowers, and woods whispers—familiar and newly born, momentary yet immortal. The high-tea ambiance, filled with gentle buzz and chinking teacups, reflected the effortless combination of tradition and contemporaneity in every outfit showcased.
What made this event stand out was its experiential, near-meditative nature. Rather than simply seeing a runway, shoppers had the chance to see the garments as living art—models drifted across tables, allowing for close-up admiring of the hand-drawn line and the gorgeous wax-resist embellishments. It was a muted, sensual lesson in the cultural richness of batik—its Sri Lankan and Javanese origins and its renaissance by the hands of contemporary artisans who respect tradition but are not slaves to it. For most of us present, it was more than a demonstration, even more than a reacquainting with batik as something decidedly more than souvenir fabric or warm-weather kaftans.
Furthermore, it was a somber but strong assertion that Sri Lankan fashion is in demand globally. In a world where culture is commodified or diluted, Buddhi Batiks is the counter-narrative: one that puts heritage, sustainability, and human touch above mass production. The philosophy is summarized in the slowness of dyes and the ritual application of waxes hand-by-hand, generation to generation, so that each garment speaks to patience and pride. And in its presentation of this moment within The Gatz, Cinnamon Life not only showcased Darshi Keerthisena’s talent but also placed local craft at the level it richly deserved—a sophisticated environment.
For Sri Lanka’s fashion landscape, this showcase was more than an exhibition. It spoke of resilience, creativity, and craftsmanship that refuses to fade. Through Darshi’s artistic leadership and the artisans’ steadfast dedication, Buddhi Batiks has surged beyond mere textiles; it has become a cultural movement, one that’s ethical, beautiful, and timeless.
As visitors left, batik folds still whirled in their heads—an encouragement to continue a tradition that survives on individuality, refinement, and honesty. Buddhi Batiks’ efforts at The Gatz were not simply fashion: it was living tradition beautifully reinterpreted for contemporary times.
