Twenty apparel collections created by final year fashion design students of the University of Moratuwa (UoM) illuminated the catwalk with fascinating styles, at a spectacular event sponsored by Teejay Lanka PLC, Sri Lanka’s only multinational textile mill.

The occasion was the 13^thannual Graduation Fashion Show of the University’s Department of Textile and Clothing Technology, for which Teejay was the Principal Sponsor for the seventh consecutive year.

Seven awards, namely, the Outstanding Designer Brand, the Commercially Creative Designer, the Serendib Inspirational Designer, the Menswear Designer, the Innovative Designer, the Creative Knitwear Designer, and the Innovative Textile Fabric Designerwere presented to promising final year undergraduates of two degree courses, at the show held at Waters Edge, Colombo.

Graduating students launched brand new collections developed from concept to final product at this event, with their ensembles paraded on the ramp by professional models.

As the main sponsor, Teejay Lanka PLC showcased its own collection positioned as ‘a purpose driven sustainable knitwear collection’ at the introduction of the event. Created from scrap fabric in a move to introduce it as a sustainable solution to environment pollution caused bythe disposal of fabric, this design compilation also sought to emphasise the danger ofair pollution to the environment.

The stars of the night were KulaniHarindree, who won the Outstanding Designer Brand Award, Sapthika Jacob and ThiliniAnushika who shared theInnovative Designer Award,ChamiJayasinghe, winner of the Innovative Textile Fabric Designer Award, and RavinduArtigala, who wonthe Menswear Designer Award.

The panel of judges for these awards comprised of eminent personalities in the fashion world suchas Piyumi Perera - Head of Design, Hirdaramani Industries; Peter Katz - Freelance Designer; Dinesh Chandrasena - Academic Lead & Fashion Design Programme Coordinator, Raffles College of Design;LashmaDissanayaka - Manager Business Development, Teejay Lanka PLC,MareikeRiepert - Head of Creative, Vogue Tex (Pvt) Ltd. and Jessica Mitchell –Consultant, Front End PD Merchandizers at Brandix Lanka.

Prior to the fashion show, final year students of the department also had the opportunity to showcase their apparel collections at a three-day exhibition held at the Lionel Wendt,Colombo.

The collaboration between the university and Teejay Lanka PLC was strengthened through a memorandum of understanding originally signed in 2014 and renewed this year, enabling development of opportunities for employment generation, fostering programmes, training internships and collaboration on strengthening research, design and technical capabilities and product development on a mutually beneficial platform.

The Department of Textile & Clothing Technology of the University of Moratuwa is the largest manpower training provider to the textile and clothing industry of Sri Lanka. The Department conducts two degree courses and offers postgraduate training leading to Master’s and PhD degrees. To date, the department has produced close to 1,800 graduates who are currently successfully employed in the apparel industry, both locally and abroad.

With manufacturing operations in Sri Lanka and India, Teejay is one of the region’s largest textile manufacturers, and supplies fabric to some of the best international brands across the world. Teejay Lanka PLC is a public quoted company with 39 per cent public ownership. The company is backed by Sri Lanka’s largest apparel exporter, Brandix Lanka which has a 33 per cent stake and Pacific Textiles of Hong Kong which owns 28 per cent of the company.

An ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and OHSAS 18001:2007 compliant company and the first in the industry to develop green fabric, Teejay has been listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) since 2011 and was included in the S&P Top 20 Index in Sri Lanka. The Company has also been named among the Forbes ‘200 Best under a Billion in Asia’ and been recognised as the ‘International Textile Firm of the Year’ and the ‘International Dyer and Finisher’ by World Textile Institute, London.

Photo caption: Teejay Lanka Deputy CEO Mr Pubudu De Silva andMoratuwa University Vice Chancellor Prof K K C K Perera (above left) presents the Outstanding Designer Brand award to Ms KulaniHarindree and some of the collections on the ramp at the Graduation Fashion Show of the University.