Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) 2014, which is backed by local industries and the Government, is scheduled to kick off over the next few days.
The main objective of the festival is to promote design driven exports as a major economic sector for the country. For this reason, SLDF is supported by Sri Lanka’s apex institute for driving exports, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB).
Together with the EDB, SLDF’s fashion edition is held under the theme ‘From manufacturing to branding’, encompassing Sri Lanka move towards a brand-driven future with regional hub status in design. In light of this, SLDF will join hands with EDB to draw international attention to the massive potential of emerging exports like contemporary handloom fashion.
Using SLDF as a platform to gain worldwide recognition for the growing potential of handlooms as a high fashion export, EDB is hosting an international delegation of buyers, fashion opinion leaders, media, retailers and fashion presentation experts from Europe, North America, India, etc. This delegation will be direct buyers, promoters and ambassadors for local design driven exports.
EDB Chairman and Chief Executive Bandula Egodage stated that SLDF’s objectives to promote traditional crafts revitalised through design such as handloom, aligns closely with EDB’s mission to discover, develop and promote new design exports from the country.
“EDB is an institution dedicated to strengthening existing exports and promoting new exports for Sri Lanka. SLDF plays an important part in helping us in this mission by integrating design into traditional sectors like handloom and crafts to revive them as new exports for Sri Lanka.
“We find it crucial for our exports to meet the needs of the global market and evolve as high quality products and we’re proud to be part of the process of traditional cottage industries transforming into potential power exports with SLDF 2014. We have supported SLDF for the past few years and in 2014 too we are delighted to support the event as key stakeholders,” Egodage said.
In addition to hosting a powerful international delegation of ambassadors for Sri Lankan design-driven exports, EDB has also extended its support to host an impressive fashion display of contemporary handloom fashion, produced and presented by an international team of experts.
This dazzling display of locally woven textiles as high-end fashion includes a range of cutting-edge collections targeting global consumers and the launch of an e-commerce platform where European and North America consumers can directly purchase Sri Lanka handloom online.
SLDF 2014, the national celebration of design supported by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, will include an exciting and educational range of forums, exhibitions and shows which will be held at SLECC from 5-7 December.
In addition to the EDB, SLDF is also supported by the Ministry of Economic Development, Sri Lanka Tourism and Sri Lanka Apparel as key stakeholders. Brandix Lanka Ltd. and MAS Holdings are the official fashion industry patrons while other supporters include Coats Thread Lanka – official thread and zip partners, GT Nexus – official technology partner, Daily FT/Daily Mirror/Sunday Times – official print media, MTV/MBC – official electronic media, Mount Lavinia – official venue partner, Triad – official communications partner and Cheryl Gooneratne Hair & Beauty Academy – official hair & makeup partner, Sunshine Travels – official travel partner and Pico – official exhibitor logistics partner.
