Life style
ODEL Launches its vivacious Summer Collection
The longing for a place or a face, is something we have all experienced in the past year. Yet the tides have turned, and as life gets slowly back to normal, the ODEL Summer collection, “Wish you were here” celebrates those cherished throwbacks to good times; The love, the laughter and having it all back again. With a range of stylishly comfortable silhouettes, accessories, shoes and bags, the collection welcomes the dawn of a new year, while looking back at those wonderful days with fondness.
Inspired by all things island, ODEL’s Summer collection lives up to its theme of ‘Wish You Were Here’. And indeed, you most certainly will wish you were at ODEL, not just once but everyday this season as ODEL introduces a range of delightful products which are a veritable burst of island blooms and colors that will get you right into a mood of Summer fun and frolic as well as traditional Avurudu celebrations.
You can shop ODEL with complete ease of mind, with a host of bank offers as well as special promotions, to make your Avurudu all the more festive. What’s more, this season you can shop till you drop at ODEL, from 10 AM all the way to 10 PM!
“This season, vibrant blooms will come in to play across ladies’, men’s as well as kids’ categories. The collection comprises of a stunning selection of silhouettes in joyful, celebratory hues such as Red, Orange as well as Green which is the designated auspicious color of Avurudu this year. Sri Lanka being the tropical paradise that it is, we have kept the fabric light and breathable with the perfect blend of cottons and linens, which are well suited to our climate” said Desiree Karunaratne, Group Director Marketing of Softlogic Group.
The overall direction for this Summer’s collection is ‘comfort first’. In the ladies’ line up, you will see cascading shapes with layers and fluidity. Staples such as floral summer dresses, shorts, tropical co-ord sets, palazzo pants, crop tops and cover ups are making a comeback. Wide-leg trousers made for comfort, floaty dresses that could take you from an intimate festive gathering to a tropical get away far from Colombo, paper bag shorts pairable with those breezy tops with billowy sleeves or even a cute little crop top are all must- haves that will soon become your summer favorites.
For LUV Sri Lanka, the ‘Blossoms of Avurudu’ collection capture the essence of this festive period and portrays the beauty and magic that is created by the myriad of flowers that blossom across the island during this time with emphasis being placed on this year’s Avurudu colors which are green, white and blue. Conveyed via water colours by our team of designers, everything you see has been drawn from scratch. We have given special attention to the flowers that are synonymous with the culture and traditions of Sri Lankans, namely Erabadu, Asala, Nilmanel, Saman Pitchcha , Katurolu, Kadupul, Binara and Sapu.
The Men’s collection too revolves primarily around comfort, with tropical shirts, shorts, ombre- tie dye T shirts and crisp white tailored staples included in the collection. With a range of printed, casual shirts that can be paired with a casual short for a day by the pool, or a Chino from our wide collection for an evening out, the ODEL Men’s collection is versatile and interchangeable, working for a whole range of different looks. Not forgetting the wildly popular tie dye tee range by WYOS and Liberation, and the beloved formal range by Davidoff and Fellini, the ODEL Men’s department is fully equipped for all your festive shopping needs.
Kid’s Summer collection for both boys and girls, is affectionately labeled ‘Fruitloops’ this season as it’s a celebration of tropical fruits and their burst of vivacious colors. Boysenbear brings ever so cozy casual looks for little boys while Pinkabelle comes through with summer dresses, rompers and comfy shorts that your little princess will want to live in during these hot summer days.
ODEL Home, in keeping with the theme of vibrant colors and light-as-air textures, presents a range of home essentials for this festive season. Beautiful, vibrantly hued mosaic vases, modern ceramic vases in uncommon shapes and sizes, floral cushion covers in colorful linens and cottons, and a range of color coordinated bath room accessory sets, bath mats and towels, that will complete your home, while a unique collection of clay table wear, vintage brass oil lamps, batik cushion covers and table runners will make your Avurudu table the cynosure of all!
As for Backstage, resplendent dazzles are the order of the day! In order to coordinate and complement the bright and gleaming hues of Avurudu, Backstage will feature a range of jewelry that is intricate, exotic, colourful, dazzling and one of a kind.
Last but by no means least; Delight has an array of traditional Avurudu sweet treat hampers that are guaranteed to satisfy the gourmand in you with a stunning assortment of all-time favourites and some new ones too.
Sri Lanka’s leading Department store, ODEL certainly has it all for the entire family, so head over down to your favourite store for all your family’s needs this Avurudhu – ODEL has it all!
ODEL PLC is a fully owned subsidiary of Softlogic Holdings PLC, one of Sri Lanka’s largest diversified conglomerates with leading market positions in growing economic sectors in Retail, Healthcare, ICT, Automobiles, Leisure, and Financial Services. Softlogic holds authorised distributorships for key global power brands and employs over 11,000 employees at its offices in Sri Lanka and Australia today.
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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