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Indi
A brief conversation with an upcoming designer, Indeevari Yapa Abeywardena regarding her label ‘Indi’ and her recent runway show which was concluded at L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Week.
Indeevari or Indi as she is usually called, explains that it was by coincidence that she got into designing, since soon as she left school she was not sure of which path to take when it came to her higher studies and even though she was passionate about traditional dancing she knew it was not something she would want to pursue as a career.
But in 2004 whilst on a traditional dance tour she happened to come across a picture of Marilyn Monroe in a magazine and Indi says that the picture moved her in a manner which made her fascinated by the garment the late actress was wearing and she wanted to be able to design something similar and she says that such inspiration brought back memories of her late mother and how Indi remembers watching her mother sew when Indi was little.
Indeevari or Indi as she is usually called, explains that it was by coincidence that she got into designing, since soon as she left school she was not sure of which path to take when it came to her higher studies and even though she was passionate about traditional dancing she knew it was not something she would want to pursue as a career.
But in 2004 whilst on a traditional dance tour she happened to come across a picture of Marilyn Monroe in a magazine and Indi says that the picture moved her in a manner which made her fascinated by the garment the late actress was wearing and she wanted to be able to design something similar and she says that such inspiration brought back memories of her late mother and how Indi remembers watching her mother sew when Indi was little.
Whilst studying in England in 2009 Indi was selected to showcase her designs at the London Graduate Fashion Week which was her first runway show and afterwards started working at Henry Bertrand which is a renowned fabric supplying company in London and Indi was able to be present at Première Vision, which is a world renowned fabric show held annually in Paris.
In 2010 after completing her stint in London Indi returned to her homeland to be with her family and in 2011 started work at Linea Aqua as a senior swimwear designer and during the same year she was able to show case her own line ‘INDI’ at the Colombo Fashion Week with a black and white theme which was inspired by the concept of multiple personalities. She says her first runway show in Sri Lanka was an amazing experience which opened her to a lot of opportunities and taught her a lot about the local fashion industry.
We also asked Indi about her views on the fashion industry in Sri Lanka, and she says that the industry is not well connected with the international standards, mainly due to the lack of communication, and when it comes to the concept of borrowing ideas Indi says that the Sri Lankan designers need to be more selective and the experienced designers need to know the proper way of sharing their knowledge regarding the industry to the new comers.
With the new experience in hand after showcasing her work at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Week, Indi says she is currently committed to lecturing at the University of Moratuwa at the Department of Textile and Clothing and also designing dresses for some of the contestants of Derana Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World and apart from all the commitments she is also busy moving her design studio to a new place in Mount Lavinia.
With such a hectic schedule at hand it was indeed a pleasure to have met this promising designer to speak about her experiences and the future of her career. CCL wishes to thank Indi for sparing some time for the interview and wish her great success in all her future endeavors.
