Tiesh Jewellery, The Ropewalk, and Fig & Maple come together for an exclusive showcase of luxury, art, and fine dining

In an exquisite blend of luxury, culinary mastery, and timeless craftsmanship, Tiesh Jewellery recently collaborated with The Ropewalk at Galle Fort Hotel and Fig & Maple, India for an exclusive evening of dining, cocktails, and a stunning showcase of Tiesh’s ‘Timeless Elegance’ jewellery collection. This unforgettable event brought together a select group of Tiesh’s clientele amidst the historic grandeur of the iconic Galle Fort Hotel.

Tiesh, renowned for its meticulously crafted jewellery that embodies luxury and elegance, presented a curated selection of necklaces, earrings, pendants, and rings. The ‘Timeless Elegance’ collection, celebrated for its larger, statement pieces perfect for special occasions, captivated guests with its exceptional craftsmanship and use of finest sapphires, diamonds, rubies and emeralds.

Director of Tiesh, Ayesh de Fonseka stated, “We are thrilled to partner with the Galle Fort Hotel and Fig & Maple for this unique collaboration. As a jeweller hailing from Kandy, it is a privilege to be part of such a prestigious event at one of Sri Lanka’s most historic hotels at Galle. The ‘Timeless Elegance’ collection celebrates the art of jewellery design, with each piece offering an exquisite reflection of beauty, craftsmanship and heritage.”

Set in the heart of the Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site, The Ropewalk is Sri Lanka’s first arrack-specialty bar, located within the 300-year-old Galle Fort Hotel. Known for its exceptional culinary experiences and innovative cocktails, Ropewalk has garnered accolades from prestigious publications such as Condé Nast Traveller India.

The evening’s festivities featured bespoke cocktails crafted by Ravish Bhavnani of Fig & Maple and The Ropewalk’s talented mixologists, followed by a multi-course dinner prepared by celebrated Chef Radhika Khandelwal, founder of the Delhi-based, zero-waste restaurant, Fig & Maple. Chef Khandelwal, recognised as one of India’s top 40 under 40 chefs by Condé Nast Traveller, delighted guests with a sustainable and seasonal menu using locally sourced produce.

Managing Director of Galle Fort Hotel and The Ropewalk Amrit Rajaratnam expressed, “We are honoured to have hosted this collaborative event with Tiesh, one of Sri Lanka’s most esteemed jewellers. The evening was a perfect fusion of culinary excellence and timeless artistry, offering our guests a truly unique experience.”

Throughout the evening, guests were treated to an elegant display of Tiesh’s jewellery collection, modelled by Maya and Diandra, allowing them to experience the beauty and craftsmanship of each piece up close.

Timeless Elegance

Herbert de Givenchy once said “The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress”. This adage resonates with Charini Suriyage’s design philosphy. She strives to create pieces that flatter and enhance the natural beauty of the wearer, rather than overpowering or restricting them.

Her rise in the fashion world is a powerful narrative of grit, ambition and relentless innovation. A rising star, Charini has transformed her passion into a flourishing business empire, becoming a much sought after name in the fashion industry. Charini is more than a designer. She’s a story teller weaving artistry and ethical practices into her collection. Her keen eye for details and unmatched creativity made her atelier stand out in a crowded industry.

Q As one of Sri Lanka leading fashion designers could you share the notable challenges, you encountered during the early stages of your career?

During the early stages fortunately for me creating brand awareness happened quite spontaneously. I launched the brand with Colombo fashion week and then worked on expanding my clientele locally .. at that point the biggest challenge at the start has been delivering the orders exactly the way I envisioned as I didn’t have a strong enough team at the start who could make my vision of the design beacons reality.

Q What transformation have you witnessed in the fashion industry that benefit newcomers?

The biggest transformation I see is the fact that the clients are more aware of designer wear as opposed to fast fashion driven high street brands and also takes pride in shopping locally supporting Sri Lankan talent . That’s a huge benefit as scalability in a small island can be quite a challenge .

Q What do you believe sets your fashion label apart from others in the industry?

I don’t want people to just shop for a piece of clothing , I want people to own a part of a story .. I want them to belong to a brand that’s unique and dressing up to be fun . We aim to make ever client feel bold and sophisticated and above all comfortable irrespective of shape and size.

Q Sustainability and eco -conscious fashion have become increasingly important in recent years. How do you incorporates these principles into your designs and production?

While I was studying for my masters at London College of Fashion I studied in detail on how fashion brands could be ethical for my thesis .

Then I took part at London fashion week showcasing my designs at the ethical fashion showcase and was mentored by pioneers in the ethical fashion sector in the UK. This made me analyze every single step of the process in the manner international brands are expended to do . After moving back to Sri Lanka I still practice how we can make circular fashion the way to go for the brand . At the moment together With CFW responsibility meter we monitor ten streps of how each garment can be eco -conscious.

Q What inspired you to embark on your journey of improving the livelihood of artisans?

CHARINI as a brand has always taken a variety of steps to do what’s right by the community and the planet . We work alongside a number of diverse traditional Sri Lankan craft communities to develop our collections. We maximize material usage minimizing wastage with smart pattern cutting techniques .

We use eco- friendly printing methods so that we reduces chemical wastage . We have a line of batiks and other craft incorporated collections that is continuously retailed at the store which have given these age old crafts a modern twist that’s more appealing to the current customer base.We believe in timeless fashion where our customers take pride in re wearing what we have created for years . That’s definitely a testament of how a brand can reduce their impact on the planet .

Q Your brand has expanded internationally. Can you discuss the challenges and opportunities you’ve have encountered while taking your designs to a global audience?

It has been a wonderful journey starting a brand from scratch and working hard to make it grow . The brand was retailing with international platforms in UK and Europe and now is focusing on UAE and south east Asia as these are the potential markets for what the brand offers.

Q What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?

I’m generally a person who is quite fascinated about a lot of things .. life on its own inspire me everyday At the moment it’s painting techniques… be it water colour art or temple paintings

Q How did you decide to start your own label?

I started setting up the brand while I was working at MAS doing a full time job . I started in a small scale and then when the brand was ready to stand on its own I opened a studio in Colombo 03 with a design office , sewing facility and a retail area where we cater to bespoke needs of the clients as well.

Q You are known for your unconventional prints and silhouettes and being fearless to experiment? Your views

As a designer I feel it’s our responsibility to create our own canvas . And for me it’s creating prints with a concepts and stories . The silhouettes are what makes these canvases into beautiful art on the body . I have always liked fluid drapy silhouettes as I feel it’s a great way to make feminine and sensual designs that are comfortable for the body . End of the day we live in an island and for me it’s important that we make fashion for the context that we are in .

I never shy from experimenting with unique silhouettes that complement the wearer . I think that’s what we should offer and differentiate ourselves from mainstream designers .

On invitation from Hasini Gunasekera

By Zanita Careem

Global hairstylist Farrukh Shamuratov from Azerbaijan visited Sri Lanka for the first time to conduct a workshop on hair trends and styles at Marriott Courtyard.

He was here on an invitation from Hasini Gunasekera, director, hairstylist and beautician from salon Naturals. She is the daughter of Deepika Gunasekera, a veteran hairstylist and she always had the guidance of her mother , Hasini is well known for the international exposure and enhancing the local industry, such as the initiative is Naturals Sri Lanka having set a vision to groom men and women alike.

The international stylist Farrukh Shamuratov graduated from Saint Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts Russia. He has won many international awards and participated in many prestigious hair championships. “I started my career when I was very young when I was dabbling and blow drying hair Even though i was brought up in a hairdressing family. I had many ambitions before I look to hairdressing as a career. So on the advice of my father I worked part time, it was here that I discovered a passion for mixing tint, cutting hair and creating trendy hair styles. I used every experience as a learning opportunity that is my success story within the industry to move on.

“I have had may proud moments in my career, winning awards, hitting the covers of some incredible international magazines,” said Farrukh.

Born into a family of hairdressers, both mother and father are hairdressers. So I got my start in the industry at home. While his hometown is in Azerbajan, Shamuratov recently moved to Los Angeles and spend more time living out of a suitcase travelling all over the world,Italy, France, Spain, Dubai, Turkiye, Ukraine and many more cities, hosting classes and workshops

Farrukh has had many noteworthy moments. As I met with him listening to his many success stories, I was drawn to his authencity and in some ways, the endless hustle, making sure I captured every detail of what he’s accomplished and his secrets to an amazing success of everything about hair and styles.

“I try to push myself constantly, to bring something new to what I do”

Talking about new hair trends he said short hair will be huge with lots of cropped cuts and huge textures, people are becoming more confident and there’s a great move towards self expression with colour the brighter the better.I’d like to see more shapes,created through cutting rather than just dressing”

What turns you on about this profession No two days are the same?

You can be working in the salon one day and performing in front of a packed audience in some exotic location the next

The secret of my success comes from hard work and dedication to my craft and I can achieve what I want in this world And a determination to never stop learning

What has working in the world of hairdressing given you on a personal/emotional level?

The ability to enhance somebody’s personality through hair,giving them both inner and outer confidence. I love seeing, the client’s joy when leaving the salon

You have travelled all over the world and been a guest star on the most prestigious catwalks are there any specific difference in thehair sector?

Different countries have different mentalities and different ways of showing appreciation. Wherever I go my creativity and passion is recognised and I am treated like an hero that makes me proud.