This year CFW will showcase a selection of Emerging Designers alongside established Sri Lankan designers. Adding international flavour will be well known designers from India Suket Dhir, Urvashi Kaur and Zaheer Abbas from Pakistan.

Colombo Fashion Week (CFW), presented by Mastercard, enters its 22nd year in 2025 with its Summer edition, marking another milestone in its journey as one of the four fashion weeks in Asia that have surpassed 2o years.Emerging Designer initiative of CFW this time remains one of its main pillars, providing an entry point for the next generation to pursue design-based entrepreneurship. This in line with the introduction of the Craft Fashion Fund this year is a testament to this commitment. The Craft Fashion Fund will select two winners, one who incorporates batik and another who utilizes crafts other than batik. This initiative passed 20 years.

Over the years, CFW has proven to be the backbone of Sri Lanka’s fashion design industry—its only voice—while creating a fashion ecosystem that provides support to new emerging designers entering the industry. Informally known as South Asian Fashion Week, it serves as a regional hub due to its geopolitical advantage. It is also one of the most significant fashion weeks in South Asia, having played a crucial role in revitalizing the country’s fashion design industry.

This year, Colombo Fashion Week has also expanded its international footprint since joining as a founding member of the newly created BRICS International Fashion Federation. This aligns with CFW’s ongoing mission to bridge diverse fashion markets and foster creative dialogue across continents. As part of this federation, CFW has signed a designer exchange program with BRICS, where a designer from a BRICS country will showcase their work at CFW, and a Sri Lankan designer will present their collection there. CFW continues to play a pivotal role in presenting Sri Lanka through the lenses of arts, culture, and sustainability, further contributing to destination marketing on a global scale.

The Head Table From L to R: Harsha Maduranga, GM – Vision Care, Yatila Wijemanne, Chairman – Juniper, Dr. Vibash Wijeratne, Dirand CEO – Ninewells, Shamara Silva, Mrkt & Media Dir – Unilever, Ruwan Perera, CEO – NDB Wealth, Kamal Munasinghe, Area VP and GM – Cinnamon Grand, Ajai Vir Singh, Founder – CFW, Sandun Hapugoda, Country Mgr – Mastercard, Samrat Datta, GM – Taj Samudra, Bernhard Stefan, MD – Nestlé Lanka, Ramani Fernando, Founder – RF Salons, Arjuna Kumarasinghe, MD -Cargills Food & Beverages

Ajai Vir Singh, Founder, Colombo Fashion Week stated: “Colombo Fashion Week has consistently demonstrated its commitment to developing Sri Lanka’s fashion industry through strategic international partnerships and innovative platforms. Our growing international recognition and expanding designer network reflects vital role this platform plays in positioning Sri Lanka through its creative industries.”

Mastercard, as the presenting partner, continues to champion CFW’s vision of sustainable and inclusive fashion innovation, focusing on digitizing sustainability initiatives and supporting small and medium fashion enterprises.

Sandun Hapugoda, Country Manager, Sri Lanka & Maldives, highlights: “Mastercard is thrilled to partner with Colombo Fashion Week once again, celebrating the incredible talent and creativity within the fashion industry. This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to support local artistry. Together, we aim to inspire new possibilities, connect communities, support sustainable fashion initiatives, and elevate the local fashion industry to a global audience, delivering a truly priceless experience. We also anticipate CFW to be a great support to boost the Sri Lanka tourism industry as well.”

Fazeena Rajabdeen

The Craft Fashion Fund encourages young designers to engage with and incorporate Sri Lankan crafts into their collections. This approach has been highly successful for designers in other South Asian countries, where traditional crafts have helped establish a unique identity for them. Sri Lankan fashion has its best opportunity to develop a distinct identity when designers integrate local crafts into their work. The developing of this identity has been professed by CFW among the design fraternity, so they are able to create market demand beyond Sri Lanka.

The Emerging Designer initiative of CFW remains one of its main pillars, providing an entry point for the next generation to pursue design-based entrepreneurship. This in line with the introduction of the Craft Fashion Fund this year is a testament to this commitment. The Craft Fashion Fund will select two winners, one who incorporates batik and another who utilizes crafts other than batik. This initiative will support two exceptional designers, ensuring the preservation and evolution of Sri Lanka’s rich artistic heritage. This season, fifteen emerging designers will present their collections, further demonstrating CFW’s dedication to fostering the next generation of fashion talent.

Fazeena Majeed Rajabdeen, Director & CEO, Colombo Fashion Week further added: “Colombo Fashion Week, with its focus on nurturing new talent and emerging designers, has played a pivotal role in reviving and propelling Sri Lanka’s fashion industry. We are proud to present 15 emerging designers this year and to have Sharmila Ruberu mentoring these designers on collection planning. This, along with the Craft Fashion Fund, reiterates our commitment to further the thriving ecosystem we have built, embracing sustainability and empowering young talent.”

Colombo Fashion Week Summer 2025 is set to transform Colombo into an immersive fashion destination by showcasing designers across three of the city’s most prestigious locations. The key partners of Destination Colombo includes Shangri-La, Taj Samudra, and Cinnamon Grand. The shows will feature an impressive roster of international and local talent, including designers from India, Italy and Russia. Renowned creators such as Rimzim Dadu,

Cettina Bucca, Suneet Varma and JJ Valaya, will present alongside celebrated Sri Lankan designers including Fouzul Hameed, Sonali Dharmawardena, Asanka De Mel, Aslam Hussein, Kamil Hewawitharana, Dimuthu Sahabandu, Indi Yapa Abeywardena and Charini Suriyage.

Colombo Fashion Week 2025 is proudly supported by Mastercard, presenting partner along with Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand, Taj Samudra, NDB Wealth, Yatra, Ninewells Aesthetic Centre, Tresemme, Vaseline, Juniper, Chupa Chups, Nestle-Nescafe, Vision Care, Knuckles, Hameedia, Ramani Fernando, Wijeya Newspapers, Hard Talk, Acorn and Emerging Media.

Spring 2025 Yoland collection is modelled by Ushani Wijeratne.

By Zanita Careem

Yoland Aluvihare is a legend and an icon in local batik landscape. Her unique rise to fame is indeed a truly amazing journey.! An astute and determined businesswoman, she designs to empower women,making them enchance the features of the wearer but never outshine them.

A household name in Sri Lanka, Yoland’s reputation has always crossed the seas and was invited by fashion fairs all over the globe to showcase her unique form of art and design. The business spirit in her saw the opening of her own retail outlet called the Yoland Collection which became the number one boutique store in Sri Lanka. “I always believe to be truly unique and create something special , I follow my own instincts and create something I love and are proud of”says Yoland. Her label Yoland collection covers the full spectrum of fashion from silk sarees, kaftans, scarves, dresses and neckties which never fails to attract customers. Yoland’s designs reflect those values in a contemporary style, something that we could wear always,appreciate,and stands the test of time.

Her signature style is immediately recognisable and sets her apart from others.

I am also committed to |Made in Sri Lanka” adage and her mission is to re -invigorate domestic manufacturing and create an offering of distinguished silhouettes for the women who values quality and local craftsmanship.Her clientele is impressive and boasts of socialites and the glitterati not only from Sri Lanka but also from abroad. Her collections have graced fashion runways in Italy, Germany, Pakistan, Australia, France, Switzerland, Singapore and Japan amongst many more.

For her efforts she was been rewarded with several accolades both locally and internationally. At the Fashion Asia Awards in China a few years she won ‘Asia’s Top Fashionable Selling Brand of the Year’ and more recently won the Commonwealth Women Entrepreneur of the Year Her journey is a testament to her ambition, creativity and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Her elegance and persona I guess pushed her own cloth line.

She was always blessed with the intuition to know what women wanted to wear at a particular moment in their lives but also what women wanted to wear to make an impact. From colourful tradional pieces to contemporary fashion , her silhouettes reflect vibrant colours, and rich cultural heritage.

Yoland’s daughter Nisa Aluwihara has taken her over the mantle of her mother’s business.. Nisa,versatile and innovative has taken “The brand ‘Yoland Collection’ to the international design world. Nisa has been inspired by her mother’s creativity. “The entrepreneurial spirit in me was inherited from my mother ” says Nisa. Embracing the multi faceted exposure during her childhood, Nisa lends her intrinsic love for batiks and fashion into thier homegrown business with passion. Ushani Wijeratne Rambukwella, an expert in IT business science and environmental studies has now joined Yoland to pursue her passion in designing. Poised, confident and with a strong of sense of style, beautiful Ushani said, I’m really excited to be part of Yoland Collection. She is ready to step inside the fabulous world of Yoland’s batik world .

Ramani Fernando talks on-

By Zanita Careem

Ramani Fernando, the face and visionary behind one of Sri Lanka’s most popular hair dressing destinations, Ramani Fernando Salons.

A definitely a self made business woman. Ramani is truly an inspiration to women to follow their dreams. A master of her passions, she has been making waves in the world of beauty from inception of her first beauty salon . She is a name synonymous with the highest standards of hairstyling and beauty in Sri Lanka. A fashionista, and renowned for her ability to transform the most sublime into masterpieces in terms of hairstyles,makeup,bridal dressing and all others related to beauty.

What hairstyle or makeup are trending in 2025?

This year, we’re seeing timeless styles like ultra bobs and soft, textured waves making a big comeback. They’re versatile and flattering for many. For makeup, glowing, natural skin paired with bold eyeliners or glossy lips is a winning combination—it’s about making a statement while keeping it fresh.

What are your go brands for makeup and skin care?

I love Charlotte Tilbury, Mac and Nars for makeup, they cater to diverse needs beautifully. For skincare, brands like Sothys,CeraVe and La Roche Posay are fantastic—they focus on effective ingredients and are easy to incorporate into any routine.

How do you stay abreast with popular trends in makeup and hairstyles this year?

I stay inspired by following global trends on platforms like Instagram and attending beauty expos. It’s essential to stay connected with the industry, so I often go through magazines and interact with other professionals.

How social media has helped you to be what you are?

Social media has transformed the way we connect with clients. It’s a platform to share work, showcase new trends, and inspire. It’s been a huge part of how I’ve built and maintained my brand.

Any challenges or struggles last year as a hairdresser?

Every year brings challenges, especially with staying ahead in a competitive industry. But it’s also exciting!

What’s old is new again? Your comments?

Trends like pin-up waves and winged eyeliner prove that classics never go out of style. It’s wonderful to see these looks being reimagined for today.

Environmental impact of various beauty products? As a beautician how do you embrace sustainable practices? What does sustainability mean to you?

As a beautician, I believe we have a responsibility to the environment. Using eco friendly products, minimizing waste, and supporting sustainable brands is a small step with a big impact.

Any plans for expanding any new services for clients this year?

We’re looking at expanding beauty services, scalp treatments and personalized skincare consultations.

Shift towards inclusivity and diversity is something we look forward, but what does it mean exactly when it comes to beauty salons?

It means embracing all skin tones, hair textures, and personal styles. Inclusivity isn’t just a trend; it’s about ensuring everyone feels represented and beautiful. Creating my salon that celebrates the uniqueness of each invidual and fostering a sense of belonging and self expression is something that will get me loyal customers all year around

The trend this year is expanding beyond traditional services salons all over follow to meet customer preferences and needs? Will you follow these trends?

Clients today want more than a haircut or makeup—they seek an experience. I strongly believe in adapting to these trends while maintaining the personalized touch that clients value. It’s not just about keeping up; it’s about anticipating what will make our clients feel cared for and special. If these additions enhance the client experience, then they are worth pursuing. Adding new services is a prominent trend that’s driven by evoving demands and client preferences.

Technology is taking over every aspect of our lives, its revolutionising the customers interact with salons and technology is enhancing customer experiences?

Technology has become a game-changer in the beauty industry, and salons are no exception. It is revolutionizing how clients interact with us and significantly enhancing their overall experience.

These technologies save time, improve accuracy, and elevate the salon experience. While innovation is key, the personal connection with clients remains at the heart of what we do. Technology enhances this connection rather than replacing it.”

Your personalised approach towards your customers have been your priority always. How will this change this year to build a larger base of loyal customers?

I always focus on personal approach—remembering a client’s preferences, offering customized recommendations. Building trust and rapport are keys to loyalty.

Do you believe in the adage, Comfort is king? Will you follow this personalised experiences for customers to make them extra special?

One of the most important hair salon trends that is gaining popularity is the emphasis on comfort . Customers arent buying simple haircuts ,they buy thewhole experience .Yes, absolutely! Making clients feel extra special with tailored experiences, from a relaxing ambience to personalized care are my goals always.

Ultra bobs, side partings, curls and waves, brands will be in vogue this year too? What are the hair colours in fashion this year.

“Colours like warm brunettes and platinum blondes are in. Hairstyles like side partings and ultra bobs are versatile and chic.

Make up colours. Is it bold or nude?

“This year, it’s a mix. Bold hues like cobalt blue make a statement, while soft nudes offer a polished, understated elegance.”

Biggest nail colour trends for 2025 and nail designers?

“Metallics, earthy tones, and 3D nail art are huge this year. Nail designs have become an art form, and clients love expressing themselves through it.”

Will shimmer in eye shadows are in ?

Shimmer is here to stay. Gold, bronze, and metallic pinks are beautiful for creating captivating, luminous looks.