A stylish clothing line with elegance

BY Zanita Careem

Sandra Love is a modern fashion designer, who has studied in Milan Italy. Founder of the brand ‘Nayan by Sandra Love , she had an opportunity to complete her design studies from Milan, one of the main fashion hub in the world.

“Growing up and studying in Italy was an incredible source of inspiration’says Sandra.

“For her fashion is in nature, fashion is a way of life, fashion is in the sky, fashion has to do with ideas and fashion is the way we live.”

An icon of elegance and style,Sandra, is presently introducing her brand “Nayan” to the local market for women in Sri Lanka by creating a name in the competitive world of fashion.

‘For me fashion is incredibly exciting, since the world is changing, I continue to find ways and means to embrace and respond to new changes while supporting local artisans, sustainable principles and traditions in Sri Lanka’s craftsmanship.’’

She loves to maintain to the core of her brand ‘Nayan by Sandra’ and maintaining the essence of timeless elegance. Creating exclusive collection in limited edition is her forte.

My brand “Nayan by Sandra” is the symbol of quality, trusted and crafted by myself” says the upcoming designer. My ultimate aim is to create an ensemble that simply makes my customers looks stylish, always aiming to bring a revolutionary change to the Sri Lankan fashion industry.

Her haute couture collection available in her boutique are all made in Sri Lanka. Her clothing line has uncommon styles,and perfectly suit the body and skin type of any individual.

Who are you as a designer?

I design for the modern and elegant woman. Elegance will never go out of the style and it cannot be put in a box or restricted to day or night.

The Nayan woman dresses from beautifully from morning to night, and everything has her signature styles from casual separates to formal and bridal wear.

Where do you find inspiration?

For every new collection colours are very important for me, as they drive the mood and vision of each collection to a beautiful piece of clothing.

Usually I am inspired by something I see in nature or the richness and beauty of an experience in and around me, or somewhere I’ve have travelled in some cases this translates directly into the fabric selection and colours or shapes of each design, which become the protagonist of the collection as I work with the texture and reflectiveness of the materials.

Do you have any favourite look in any of your collection?

There are several looks, I love, and my favourites are often the simplest designs that are just purely elegant, or separates that are versatile and can be dressed up and down.

What are some of the challenges?

Sandra

I design for the women of today. At the same time, I want to express my originality and define my unique design style. This is my biggest challenge. There is a constant need to come up with new themes and ideas to design the next collection. This is the most enjoyable part the job as a designer.

If you can describe yourself what would they be and why?

Determined, creative and loving – you have to be determined to stick to business like this which is so demanding and has many failures and successes.Creativity is an obvious need to work as a designer and challenging to stay creative all the time as your brands develops and gains popularity. Apart from my work my family is the most important thing in my life as they take the first priority, my husband is the pillar of my success. He has given all the encouragement for my business.

How would you compare your brand to others?

It is really vital in the fashion industry to have a clean idea of the niche you are working.

Nyan is an affordable designer brand focussed in making the Nayan customers feel confident and express their unique personally. I have a huge focus on quality and finding unique fabrics to stand out from others brands is my main aim.In the end it is a unique expression of style and is clearly reflect a different style than other brands.

On request we customise your dream ensembles to suit your style exclusively for you

What next for Sandra ?

She wants to expand internationally and make her brand to grow and evolve. The core of her business is to maintain the outstanding quality of this “Made in Sri Lanka” tradition.

Dr. Harindu Wijesinghe (MBMS, MD, MRCP) is a Consultant in Rheumatology, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. He returned from Australia after a fellowship at Concord Hospital in Sydney, and the New South Wales Institute of Sports Medicine. His expertise is in management of Arthritis, neck pain, back pain, sports injuries and other soft tissue injuries.

In an interview with the Sunday Island, Consultant Rheumatologist and specialist in sports medicine attached to the Nawaloka Hospital, Dr. Harindu Wijesinghe spoke on multiple causes of pain and management strategies. Early diagnosis key to battling painful disease

What motivated you to become specialised in rheumatalogy?

As a rheumatologist, my motivation to specialize in rheumatology stemmed from a deep interest in the complexities of autoimmune diseases and musculoskeletal conditions. Also, my interest in sports and sports injuries.

I was driven by the challenge of diagnosing and treating these conditions to improve the quality of life for my patients.

Why did you choose to specialise in pain and rheumatalogy?

I choose to focus on pain management in rheumatological condition’s because I believe that managing pain is a crucial aspect of treating rheumatic conditions. By focusing on both pain management and rheumatology, I aim to provide comprehensive care that improves the physical and emotional wellbeing of my patients. If you’re treated early and respond to the drugs ,you stand a good chance of getting back to where you were.

What do you think are some of the most important issues in rheumatalogy?

Some of the most important issues in rheumatology include early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases, managing chronic pain effectively, and staying updated on the latest research and treatment options in the field.

What are some of the non medicinal methods you use to reassure patients who are experiencing discomfort?

Non-medicinal methods are as important as drugs and we use them extensively. We reassure patients and provide education about their condition, offering lifestyle modifications such as weight loss , muscle strengthening plans , exercise and stress management techniques.

How do you define success as a rheumatologist

I define success as a rheumatologist by the improvement in the quality of life of my patients. Success is achieved when patients experience reduced pain, increased mobility, and better overall health outcomes under my care.

What do you think due some of the most common rheumatic issues and why?

Some of the most common rheumatic issues include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, gout, and fibromyalgia. These conditions can arise due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Also soft tissue injuries and sports injuries like tennis elbows , shoulder rotator cuff , knee injuries , heel and Achilles problems are also common .

What is your primary approaches to pain management for patients with chronic conditions?

My primary approach to pain management for patients with chronic conditions involves a multidisciplinary approach. Most important is properly diagnosing the condition and how it affects the patient’s daily activities. After this treatment includes a combination of medications, physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, and lifestyle modifications to help patients manage their pain effectively.

What advice do you give patients with autoimmune disorders who are considering pregnancy?

For patients with autoimmune disorders considering pregnancy, my advice would be to consult with their rheumatologist and obstetrician to develop a comprehensive treatment plan. It is important to ensure that the autoimmune condition is well-managed before and during pregnancy to minimize risks to both the mother and the baby. Regular monitoring and communication with healthcare providers are key to a successful pregnancy for patients with autoimmune disorders.

The speech delivered by the High Commissioner of India Santosh Jha at Ramayana trail I am happy to be present here today for the event promoting the Ramayana trail. I thank the organisers for inviting me to this event.

I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to the delegation from India led by Swami Govind Dev Giriji. Their presence here confirms that the deep connection between the people of two countries goes back several centuries into antiquity. A time when people and ideas were moving across seamlessly and without the modern impositions that sometimes constrain and restrict easy travel and connections between our peoples. We were reminded of this connect recently by

President Ranil Wickremesinghe who mentioned that even as we launch the Universal Payments Interface or the UPI in Sri Lanka, which will allow Indian tourists to make payments in Indian rupees in Sri Lanka, there is evidence of the use of each other’s coins or ancient currencies in both India and Sri Lanka deep into our antiquity.

We all know today that the Ramayana trail stretches from India to Sri Lanka. That this is so was not so well known to many in our two countries even a decade or so ago. Despite the references to this in our ancient epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata.

I myself discovered this first hand when I came to Sri Lanka in 2007 and worked at the Indian High Commission for three years.

I had the pleasure of visiting these places in Sri Lanka multiple times during that period.

So far, in my present tenure too I have visited some of these places and more are part of my plans in the near future.

I am, therefore, glad that today the idea of Ramayana trail has caught up the imagination of the people on both sides of the Palk strait.

Promoting tourism is an important objective of both our countries. For Sri Lanka, in particular, it has been an important source of economic activity and promotion of Ramayana trail holds a significant promise.

I must also recall that our leaders have pledged to promote the Buddhist circuit and the Ramayana trail in both our countries in the Vision Document that was issued when our leaders – President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Narendra Modi – had their summit meeting in New Delhi in July 2023. I must add that this is the vision of our leaders that guides our actions today in all areas.

The visit by respected Swamiji from Ayodhya and the activities organised during his visit to Sri Lanka will I am sure further help in raising awareness about the Ramayana trail among the Indians. It is bound to increase the flow of Indian tourists and pilgrims to these destinations.

India already contributes more than 1/5th of the tourist arrivals into Sri Lanka. India is also the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka. Unlike others, Indian tourists also visit both Buddhist and Hindu places of worship. They are also attracted to historical sites existing across Sri Lanka. In that sense, they are more diversified in their choice of sites and places they visit in Sri Lanka. The economic value of attracting Indian tourists into Sri Lanka, therefore, is greater as the benefits of their travels goes to a larger cross section of people dependent on tourism business and to those who are located in all the provinces in Sri Lanka.

In other words, Indian tourism has a larger regional spread in Sri Lanka and so its benefits too are similarly more dispersed and distributed. This is unlike other tourists, who are mostly interested in adventure and beach tourism and therefore their business benefits have more limited spread and distribution.

Our effort to establish the land bridge, on which we have begun our joint work, promises to further provide fillip to our ongoing efforts to promote tourism between our two countries. No doubt that it will be a game changer. It will, of course, bring many benefits to communities along the alignment of this connectivity but more specifically, it will make Ramayana and Buddhism tourism easier and more alluring to people on both sides.