Clean lines and surprising details in the Kaluarachchi Show
The Rotterdam fashion designer Mevan Kaluarachchi participated in the Young Professionals program of Amsterdam Fashion Week on Saturday. His menswear collection ‘Wardrobe’ is characterized by simplicity and smart combinations. You can tell the designer clearly enjoys the use of surprising details in his creations.
Kaluarachchi, born in Sri Lanka, does not make a distinction between summer and winter in his new menswear collection. The collection is a complete wardrobe for all seasons and he simply called it: ‘Wardrobe’. The Wardrobe collection offers men the opportunity to wear their favorite items throughout the year: they can mix and match depending on the occasion and the weather. The Wardrobe line offers endless smart combination possibilities and as a result the cloths remain to date for several seasons. With ‘Wardrobe’ the designer therefore meets the growing desire of clients for sustainability. Kaluarachchi focuses with this collection particularly on men who want to invest in quality, comfort and luxury. Natural hues with a dash of color here and there make for a serene color palet. Remarkable are the surprising choice of fabric (eg chiffon) and details of seams and fastenings.
Kaluarachchi: “ Today it is no longer sufficient for an outfit to be stylish. It also needs to be original and it has to carry through the seasons. I have lived in various countries amongst different cultures. That has been an important source of inspiration. As a result my designs can therefore be distinctive. My ambition is to reach an international audience with them.” Buddhi Athauda, Ambassador of Sri Lanka was also present at the show. Possibilities for an exchangeprogram between Dutch designers and fashion designers in Sri Lanka will be viewed in the coming period.
Mevan Kaluarachchi graduated from the ‘Willem de Kooning Academie’ in Rotterdam. As a student he won the prestigious Body Fashion Design Award 2003. Mevan did an internship with renowned Dutch fashion designer Alexander Slobbe, after which he decided to start his own label.
In 2008 Kaluarachchi launched his first collection for men and women. His distinctive style puts emphasis on ‘clean cut and fit’. Kaluarachchi showed before at exhibitions and on runways in the Netherlands.