Life style
Gabriel Couture debuts feminine and ethereal collection
by Zanita Careem
Ultra feminine, a fairytale collection, ethereal, these were the descriptions of Anusha David’s GABRIEL COUTURE collection unveiled at the LOVI Ceylon ‘Brides and Grooms of Sri Lanka Reimagined’ presentation.
“Designing along with animal welfare have always been my twin passions and I am fortunate indeed to have achieved both”. Anusha who presented four of her original creations along with an exotic bridal sari from Fabric Gallery who sponsored the fabrics for her collection, has at last fulfilled her dream of having her own couture label.
Why Gabriel ? ” My father’s name was Gabriel and he was just the most amazing, magical, person in my life. He would always say I could achieve anything I set my sights on and encouraged me in whatever I wanted to do, except climbing trees, riding bicycles, dri
ving and going in the sun, which were taboo as far as a traditional Indian father was concerned. It’s only fitting that I name my dream after him”!
Anusha has always been passionate about all things beautiful and exotic. “I have always adored clothes. As a little tot though I never played with dolls ; it was always animals for me and I had a myriad pets ranging from dogs, cats, a monkey, a goat, birds, etc, but I would spend hours creating what to a seven year old was couture clothing for my vast collection of paper dolls, something all little girls in the 1960s had an abundance of. I had boxes and boxes of paper dolls and their outfits which ranged from playwear to ball gowns and saris. A good part of my day was devoted to designing clothes for my paper dolls and this continued till I was almost 15”.
Anusha’s dream almost reached fruition when in 1983/4 she was about to launch a fashion label with Kirthi Sri Karunaratne and Ranjini Wijewardene titled ‘AnuKi’ . ” The machines were bought, visiting cards printed, designs all ready on the drawing board and even staff hired, but alas it was not to be !
However today Anusha who is a staunch believer in the mantra – no matter how hard you fall, pick yourself up and carry on; has realised her dream!
“When Asanka the Founder and CEO of LOVI Ceylon asked me to plan out a PR campaign for his LOVI bridegroom collection, the thought popped in to my mind – shall I also join the group of bridal designers and take the opportunity to realise my dream. I asked Asanka whether this would be alright with him and he was fully behind me. My partner Michel Nugawela was a million percent behind me and encouraged me every step of the way while my best friend Maeve Martenstyn was a power of strength and a fountain of knowledge having had her own dress boutique ‘Orientations’ which was the go to place for ladies clothes in the 70s and 80s”.
Gabriel will be a couture label and each design will be unique, taking into account the clients personality, the occasion, body shape and mindset. “I will not duplicate any design – my clients can be assured of that. Bridals, evening wear, power suits, day wear, resort wear, Gabriel will cater to all of it with the best of bespoke clothing”.
As for future plans, Anusha hopes to have her first fashion show no sooner the pandemic abates. “My very first fashion show will feature a range of couture with the theme being ‘Endangered Species’. All clothes will depict the colours of feathers and pelts of endangered animals, birds and reptiles, as well as plants, I have already started designing and all proceeds will go towards animal welfare my other passion”.
“Never ever give up on your dreams. It’s never too late to achieve them. As written by English poet William Ernest Henley in his immortal poem Invictus, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul”.
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
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