March 27, 2023
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5min

 



 

 

27 March 2022: The London College of Fashion (LCF), University of the Arts London (UAL) students recently presented their groundbreaking use of blockchain technology in a handloom craft showcase in collaboration with Selyn, Sri Lanka’s pioneer in fair trade handloom manufacture. The launch event, held at the exclusive SOOK 42 South Molton Street in London, aimed to celebrate the immense potential of global crafts and the innovative role of future creatives.

The showcase featured a modern and stylish bag designed in a collaborative project between London College of Fashion and Selyn called the “Sandra” Clapping Bag. Over 25 LCF students were tasked with redefining the use and potential of handloom textiles to create a product that appeals to a global consumer with blockchain technology. The students were successful in creating a fully transparent and sustainable accessory, showcasing the future of ethical and sustainable fashion.

Dr Emmanuel Sirimal Silva, Interim Director Fashion Business Research at London College of Fashion, UAL, stated, “Such unique and collaborative experiences are core to the development of our students; it allows them to challenge the industry and prove that better ways to create and manufacture are possible.”

The partnership between UAL, Selyn, and PaperTale Sweden is a “first” on multiple levels. “A first for LCF/UAL to engage directly with the value chain and blockchain technology, a first for Sri Lanka and the handloom sector to collaborate directly with these talented students, and a first for a model of equal partnership and collaboration – a way forward to rewrite how we work between the global North and South,” said Selyna Peiris, Selyn Director.

The exhibition showcased unique and exclusive textiles ideal for home, lifestyle, and fashion products for the conscious creative. All textiles were organic, fair trade, vegan, and cruelty-free, handmade by local artisans supporting and inspiring communities around Sri Lanka.

Visitors to the launch event were able to scan an NFC tag to see the impact and transparency of the production process, including the fibre and dyeing process, the artisan who wove the textiles, and the impact on communities and the environment. This initiative was made possible through the partnership with PaperTale, a blockchain technology company that maximizes transparency and traceability in the production process.

“We are thrilled to partner with LCF and Selyn to showcase the potential of blockchain technology in the fashion industry,” said PaperTale’s founder Bilal Bhatti. “Our technology ensures environmental, social, and material transparency from the beginning to the end of a product’s life cycle, promoting ethical and sustainable practices and helping consumers make more informed decisions”.

The launch event also featured other exhibits, including UAL’s Central Saint Martin’s alumni Ranura Edirisinghe’s first Home Collection in collaboration with Selyn and “The Unfolding Tesseract” NFT by Kesara Ratnavibhushana, a tactile, audio, and visual experience showcasing the essence of the hand looming process in high definition.

The event celebrated craft and collaboration, representing an exciting milestone in UAL’s and Selyn’s partnership. “This partnership is a way forward to rewrite how we work between the global north and south,” said Selyna Peiris, Selyn Director. “We are committed to ethical and sustainable production, and this partnership with LCF and PaperTale has shown us that better ways to create and manufacture are possible.”

 



 

 


June 8, 2022
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4min

 



 

 

 

After a year of research of the fashion, handloom and batik sectors in Sri Lanka, the Cultural Relations Platform announces a pilot training, as a form of “master class/experience” of European and Sri Lankan creatives coming together to master their craft and creativity.

The pilot training stems from the conclusions of the research that highlight the need to support and harness the creative community of Sri Lanka that already work and engage with the traditional and living crafts. The pilot training was guided by Robert Meeder, a professor of practice and was also seen as an opportunity to allow participants to network and share insights and experiences that work towards a collaborative creative community.

Content contributors, on the other hand, came from the pool of EU research participants with a Sri Lankan shared heritage, such as the UK/EU designer Ranura Edirisinghe (currently a textile designer at Burberry) and the Italian designer Andrea Brocca Senanayake, the world’s youngest couture designer. Both of whom share an additional personal connection with Sri Lanka; Ranura was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in the UK and Andrea is half Italian and Sri Lankan and grew up living between Italy and the Middle East.

For the pilot training, a combination of Sri Lankan companies who have participated in the research project (Barefoot, Kantala, Selyn) were invited to nominate “young creative” staff to participate along with additional freelance designers.

The activity also created an opportunity through a virtual/digital platform for permanent sharing, networking, and supporting the growth of young Sri Lanka talents. “Mastering” Sri Lankan craft for EU market” was implemented, coordinated and facilitated by the Cultural Relations Platform for the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka.

For more information: https://www.cultureinexternalrelations.eu/2022/05/27/mastering-sri-lankan-craft-for-eu-market/

Ranura Edirisinghe https://www.instagram.com/ranura.e/?hl=en

Andrea Brocca https://www.instagram.com/andreabrocca/?hl=en

 



 

 

 


February 24, 2022
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7min

 



 

 

 

London College of Fashion, a constituent college of the globally recognised University of the Arts London (UAL) with Selyn, Sri Lanka’s leading and only fair trade handloom manufacturer, has launched a unique collaboration that brings together Sri Lanka’s 2500 year old history of handloom to the capital of fashion and heart of London to meet future designers wanting to create impact with design. Selyn has been working with all three schools at London College of Fashion; Fashion Business School, School of Design and Technology and School of Media and Communication.

Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sri Lankan handloom industry faces major obstacles to growth with rising costs of production, limited access to world markets and an ageing artisan workforce. This has sadly resulted in many having to put down the loom and shuttle, to retire or look elsewhere for opportunities.

Selyn’s Head of Business Development & Director Selyna Peiris says, “An easy choice for us would have been to say, “handloom is affected, there is no market for it anymore”, call it quits and focus on other income streams for the business, but this would have left our handloom artisans at a serious disadvantage and would have been contrary to our commitment we have towards uplifting our community and the handloom sector at large.  Instead, we saw this as the perfect opportunity to pivot, re-position and pitch Sri Lankan handloom in a very different way to a luxury premium market while using blockchain technology to bring greater transparency to the industry. Thanks to an initial funding from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of a Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Covid recovery fund, we were able to launch a new business vertical, Selyn Textiles, to reposition and gain market entry to the UK, Europe and the world.”

 

University of the Arts London are ranked 2nd in the world for Art and Design in 2021, much of this is attributed to their leading faculty, research, curriculum and forward-thinking approach to design whilst engaging students with global partnerships and opportunities. “We see this collaboration with Selyn as a fantastic opportunity to give our students a first-hand experience of how the industry works and explore alternative models of designing, business development and teamwork by co-creating across the supply chain and breaking silo mindsets”, says Hannah Middleton Knowledge Exchange Lead at Fashion Business School at London College of Fashion.

Sandra Wanduragala, Founder Chairman of Selyn explains that “This year is Selyn’s 30th anniversary and we are honoured to be collaborating with the schools at London College of Fashion, one of the world’s best creative schools to inspire the next generation of designers and to bring awareness to an ancient craft that is core to the Sri Lankan DNA. Our rich heritage and opportunity to connect creativity, artisanal craft and tech with the integration of blockchain means we open the door for a new, inclusive and truly collaborative way forward.”

Prof. Robert Meeder, Consultant to Selyn Textiles, says, “This partnership came about through a combined collective passion for providing opportunities to those that need it the most – Sri Lanka’s artisans – bringing them to the forefront of the design process. Between us all we shared many discussions on the right opportunity, it was in the making for a long time but key to the initiative was Sri Lankan born UAL academic Dr Emmanuel Sirimal Silva. “It’s such a pleasure and honour to connect the dots between bright creative minds and Sri Lankan heritage. Selyn is a brand with a social purpose that aligns with the values (people, planet, profit and purpose) underpinning Fashion Business School at London College of Fashion. We look forward to exploring this collaboration further and investigating market and consumer appeal in the UK through Fashion Business Research Centre at UAL”, says Dr. Silva, Head of Research Coordination: Fashion Business School.

Key partners and supporters of the launch included Truly Ceylon Tea as well as Global Fashion Exchange founder and CEO Patrick Duffy, “I could not think of a better collaboration to support education, social impact on a global scale. This is a unique opportunity to bring awareness to the handloom – the first and original “tool” of craft technology. The development and inclusive participation of weavers, designers, marketers, entrepreneurs, and marketers signals a new way and opportunity to show full transparency. We need to shake things up, no more “I the designer making fashion for my own ego’s sake” but welcome the future where we are all equal players at the design table that’s inclusive, collaborative and transparent.”

Students across London College of Fashion, UAL will be designing, developing, and working together to create designs, campaigns, business plans and products, some of which will be developed further into products to be showcased later this year.

 



 

 

 


February 19, 2022
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2min

 




 

 

 

The Foreign Ministry and the State Ministry of Batik, Handloom and Local Apparel Products held a joint session on 18 February 2022 at the Foreign Ministry to promote Sri Lankan batik, handloom and local apparel products through Sri Lankan Missions worldwide.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris who chaired the event reiterated the importance of economic diplomacy initiatives and emphasized that Sri Lankan indigenous products are the outcome of creativity of the people and their promotion abroad will directly uplift the economy at grassroot level. State Minister of Batik, Handloom and Local Apparel Products, Dayasiri Jayasekara requested Sri Lankan diplomats to vigorously promote Sri Lankan batik and handloom products in their respective countries of accreditation and presented samples to display at Missions and events. He also explained the various initiatives being taken to promote them in foreign countries. Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage apprised the beauty of the work of art from the cottage industry of Sri Lanka and suggested to observe a weekly batik day to reenergize the sector.

The Secretary of the State Ministry of Batik, Handloom and Local Apparel Products, Janaka Dharmakeerthi, Chairman of Sri Lanka Handicrafts Board, Lakmal Wickramaarachchi and senior officials of the Foreign Ministry and the State Ministry of Regional Cooperation also attended the event, while Ambassadors, High Commissioners and other diplomatic officials of Sri Lanka joined virtually.

Source: Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka

 




 

 

 



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