Fashion
The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
The past fortnight featured some of the most momentous headline news of the century. Any one of these sensational stories would have monopolized the print media and TV screens of the world for several news cycles.
These included revelations of unprecedented bribery and corruption rampant within the most hallowed Court of Justice in the world, the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Provable accusations of bribery against at least three of the “Republican” Justices of the Court, including Chief Justice John Roberts, are rife. As are “Inducements” of cash and kind received from right wing billionaires, one of them a collector of Nazi memorabilia, his proudest possession being a painting signed by Hitler.
The first civil case in the continuing saga of sexual transgressions committed by the former President of the United States ended last Tuesday. Trump was found guilty of sexual battery and defamation of character, and a Manhattan jury ordered Trump to pay up to $5 million in punitive damages to Plaintiff, E. Jean Carroll.
Trump became the first former President of the USA to be found guilty in a civil case, in addition to being the first former President to be indicted and arrested by the Manhattan District Court in April 2023 for 34 felonies, presently awaiting trial. There are three other investigations against Trump; for the felony of obstruction of justice by the state of Georgia and the felonies of sedition and espionage by the Department of Justice, awaiting indictment and imminent arrest. With all this criminal baggage, Trump amazingly remains the front runner for the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2024.
Another potential big story was a Town Hall style meeting in New Hampshire on Wednesday, May 10, organized by CNN, with Trump open to questions from a captive MAGA audience. Just a couple of hours of Trump’s same old lies, reminding me of a few lines from Macbeth’s soliloquy, “A poor player, That struts and frets his hour on the stage…It is a tale, Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing”.
Finally, there were six mass shootings in the United States during the weekend of the coronation, including two in Texas which claimed 14 innocent lives and wounded 33. Mass shootings have now become so commonplace that they hardly qualify for any sensation value in the US media, and are usually dismissed with thoughts and prayers during a brief news cycle.
But the last shooting in Allen, Texas took a sinister turn, in that the killer wore a flak jacket adorned by the acronym RWDS (Right Wing Death Squad), the insignia of violent, far-right extremists. This same insignia was displayed by the Proud Boys, the Oathkeepers and other white supremacist Trumpers during their attempt to storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Indisputable proof that Trump’s traitorous dream of ending democracy in the USA, to be replaced by an illegal, white Christian dictatorship, is very much alive.
All these potentially sensational stories were relegated to second stage by the coronation of King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla on Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey, London, when they ascended to the throne of the United Kingdom and 14 members of the Commonwealth of Nations. An occasion that was becoming increasingly remote in Charles’ eyes, as his mother, Queen Elizabeth II showed no signs of “shuffling off this mortal coil”. In fact, she seemed as healthy as the horses she loved to ride, till the end.
At long last, on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Charles was simultaneously grief-stricken/buoyed when he heard the ancient proclamation – The Queen is Dead, Long Live the King – that rang throughout the realm on the death of the monarch. His destiny had finally dawned, he was indeed the sole occupier of “This royal throne of kings, this scepter’d isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise…..This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England”.
Charles was grieved at the death of her mother, but she was 97 years old and had lived her wonderful life. The realization that his lifelong dream of the monarchy had finally arrived.
King Charles III was crowned in Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6. For over 1,000 years, British monarchs have been crowned amid a spectacle of grandiose pomp and pageantry that no other nation can surpass, a ceremony that confirms the rightful monarch to rule. Three days of pageantry excitedly watched not only by Britishers, but millions living in countries who remain devoted to the monarchy of the country that had subjugated, pillaged and enslaved them for centuries.
The Crown Jewels sported by the Royal Couple were mainly stolen from the French and British colonies in Cambodia, the Indian subcontinent and South Africa. The most famous Royal Jewel stolen from Sri Lanka by the British is a 105 -carat Chrysoberyl of exceptional quality. Other jewels in the Royal Regalia were similarly stolen from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Cambodia. The golden carriage used for special Royal occasions was probably a “gift” from gold-rich South Africa. There are no gem and gold mines in the rugged terrain of the British Isles. Just a treasured conviction of ethnic superiority which empowered them to prey on the world’s weak with spectacular success.
Shashi Tharoor, Indian politician, diplomat and writer, speaks of the genius of the British in the three-card-trick they played on countries far larger and richer than themselves. A trick where the defeated believe they are winning, until the last moment when they realize they have been cleaned out of all their wealth.
He gives the example of India as an appropriate case study on the destruction that roots from colonialism. When the English East India Company arrived in India in 1606, the Indian economy was contributing around 23% to the global economy. By the time they left India, the contribution was down to 4%. During the years of the British Raj, Britain reduced the Indian economy to nothing; India and other colonies were used primarily for the development of the British Empire. Tharoor estimates that Britain stole $ 45 trillion in today’s dollars during the 300+ years of occupation. The European colonies in Africa and the South Asian subcontinent also missed out on the Industrial Revolution, while their economic and cultural development was stunted by the white colonizers.
But enough of these depressing facts of history. The deed has been done. We of the third world have been right royally and consensually screwed over the centuries. And many of us still harbor fond memories of that white incursion. Let us return to the subject at hand, the spectacular pageantry of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Over 2,200 guests were invited for the coronation, including the Royal family and over 100 world leaders. The seating arrangements for a crowd of this magnitude for functions spanning three days were carried out most professionally by the palace staff.
The only major glitches they could expect were the placement of Charles’ disgraced brother, Prince Andrew, who had to be kept away from young ladies, given his ill-reputed penchant for teenage girls, earned through his friendship with convicted sexual pervert, the late Jeffrey Epstein.
And the prominence demanded by Prince William, heir to the throne, who had to be kept as far away as possible from his rebellious brother, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Harry had broken away from the family when he married a biracial American actress, Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex, in 2018. He was also guilty of the ultimate sin of publicly criticizing the Royal family, hinting at overtones of racism in the Palace.
King Charles III solved these problems with admirable diplomacy. He ordered Harry and Andrew to be seated far behind the “working royals”, and neither was invited to stand with the rest of the family for the traditional appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony later in the day.
Prince Harry attended the coronation, while his wife Meghan remained in California with their two children. He spent a total of 28 hours in the country, did not meet or speak with his father, the King, or his brother, Prince William. Though a source close to the monarch claimed that Charles was “delighted” to see his youngest son there.
After their coronation at Westminster Abbey, Charles and Camilla rode back to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach, a historic carriage weighing four tons, used at the coronation of every monarch since William IV in 1831. The chariot was drawn by a team of eight Windsor Grey steeds. The newly crowned Charles looked resplendent, though a little weary, in his Royal regalia. What a spectacular coronation this would have been had Unjust Fate allowed the beautiful People’s Princess Diana to be alive, to participate in a pageant tailored in heaven for her. Alas, “our wills and fates do so contrary run”.
The coronation was followed by the traditional homage to be paid to the newly crowned monarch by the senior officials of the United Kingdom, when they place their hands on the monarch’s knees, swear allegiance, touch the crown and kiss the monarch’s right hand. This ceremony is followed by the balcony appearance, a tradition for the royal family to wave to the public from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
And so ended the pomp and pageantry of the coronation of the new monarch, King Charles III, though it hardly matched the majesty of the grief-stricken celebration of the life of his mother, the beloved Queen Elizabeth II, a few months ago,
The coronation of a modern British monarch only retains the historic pomp and pageantry, sans the substance and the power of the Kingdom of a bygone era. There has been, over the last century, a waning in the popularity of the monarchy, especially among the younger generation. As the London Observer puts it, “We need to think about how the monarchy institution sits in a modern and more secular Britain; our faith in these magical rituals won’t last forever…. It is one thing cheerfully to tune into the latest episode of royalty as spectacle, a slice of Elizabethan drama. It is another to be invited to stand up from your armchair to offer unquestioning loyalty to this particular winner of fate’s lottery and his offspring in perpetuity”.
By Zanita careem
Modelling is sometimes an undiscovered and unknown way, it might be something that you have dreamed about and to your surprise you are destined to that route.This statement holds so true for Ines, a model from France, she is a model and she knows how to nail it. Ines believes in uniqueness and the moment the camera turns on she is there to give that unique and perfect shot. Her styling secret is to go elegant yet comfortable.Ines loves to work hard to be the perfect one out there and this could be something that could really motivate and inspire other people.
Q: Tell us a little about you and what was life growing up?
A: I’m Ines, born and raised in Paris with a family rich in values, primarily emphasizing independence and an entrepreneurial spirit.
I’ve had a passion for traveling ever since my mother took my brother and me on a year-long world tour when I was 12. Since then, I’ve pursued my studies in hospitality management online, and my journey led me to Sri Lanka, where I’ve been living for five years now.
Meeting people has helped me practice languages, and after traveling to more than 20 countries, I speak 4 languages including Sinhala. I live in the southern part of Sri Lanka where nature, tranquility, and the sound of the ocean reign.
Q: How were you discovered and how has your journey being so far?
A: As a hospitality student during the COVID lockdown, I was approached by clothing brands to work as a model. Prior to moving to Sri Lanka, I had done photo shoots for friends’ brands and especially for my mother’s jewellery line, but I never imagined having a professional career in this field.
I embrace challenges and seize new opportunities, hence I embarked on a career in modelling, which grew to such an extent that I established my own company as a freelance model. Additionally, as a dancer and artistic director, I also work on creative concepts that go beyond the typical photo shoots in Sri Lanka.
Q: Have you always had a passion for fashion and modelling?
A: I discovered this passion when I began posing in front of a camera. As a child, I always enjoyed shopping and dressing up, but I never imagined it would become my profession, especially since I struggled with my weight when I was younger. I believe that nothing in life happens by chance, and if I have fallen in love with Sri Lanka, it is for a reason. This country is full of opportunities; one simply needs to work hard and stand out from the rest.
Q: Biggest hurdle what are some obstacles you faced?
A: I do not encounter specific obstacles in my professional career, but my weakness lies in my sociability. I need to continue working and managing my energy and preserving it for projects that truly bring me happiness. Given the high level of tourism in the southern part of the country, interactions are plenty but can be challenging.
Q: Some latest and up coming projects?
A: The latest project I am currently working on is establishing a career in content creation. I aspire to express and unleash my creativity while collaborating with brands and hotels that hold significance to me. A future project that I have dreamt of for a long time is launching my own clothing brand… but everything takes its own time…
Q: Top tips that keep you looking youthful?
A: Appearing young is of no importance to me; what truly matters is feeling comfortable in one’s own skin and being happy. Youthfulness is largely defined by attitude and energy. What brings me happiness is my family, projects, travels, dancing, and surfing.
Q: What are some of the pros of being a model?
A: The benefits of being a model include constantly being on the move and sometimes even travelling. Additionally, I am deeply grateful for the attention and care that teams provide; it makes me feel like a princess. Representing a brand or company also fosters self-confidence and gratitude.
8. Q: If you could change anything about the fashion industry, what would it be?
A: If I were to change something in the fashion industry in Sri Lanka, it would be to encourage brands to be more creative and accept models of diverse body shapes. Moreover, it’s crucial for them to recognize the beauty of the majority of the population’s natural, dusky skin tones. It’s time to dispel stereotypes associated with fair skin. Sri Lankan dusky skin is beautiful, and it’s imperative to stop labelling it as inferior to fair skin.
Q: What is your mantra?
A: My life philosphy is one of positivity towards everything I do and everything that happens to me. There is always a lesson to be learned
Q: Some of your favourite designers?
A: My favourite designer is Kami Hewavitharane and a brand labelled the Colombo Batik brand.. This brand produces unique and colorful designs and thier collections are breathtakingly beautiful.
Q: If you weren’t a model what would you be?
A: In addition to my career as a model, I work as a manager in hospitality and restaurant management. It’s one of my passions. Otherwise, I would have liked to pursue a career as a professional dancer, but it requires years of practice.
Q: So, has your perception of the fashion industry changed over time?
A: My perception of the industry has not changed much, but I feel now the industry has moved forward for the better. There is originality and creativity amongst most of the designers, and I see an increasing number of women venturing into it, which pleases me.
Q: What was the most important moment in your life?
A: What a difficult question haha! So many beautiful moments, and even the tough ones, have contributed significantly to my growth and evolution. However, the most crucial moment was staying in Sri Lanka despite the COVID conditions and France’s requirement for expatriates to return. I stayed back and took up challenges to pursue my own brand.
Q: What do you think about the state of fashion today?
A: I believe that the state of the fashion industry in Sri Lanka is undergoing significant evolution, with Sri Lankans becoming increasingly independent, liberated, and enterprising.
The little black dress plays such a starring role in our wardrobes that it has its own special designation: the LBD. Vogue’s Hamish Bowles takes us through its history, decade by decade, from Coco Chanel to Cushnie on black dress.
It’s Mademoiselle Chanel who is credited with popularizing the look and, in doing so, making the colour black, previously worn only when in mourning or to express piety (as in ecclesiastical garb), fashionable. In 1926 Vogue dubbed a drawing of one of her snappy, drop-waisted LBDs, “The Chanel ‘Ford’—the frock that all the world will wear.”
They did, and do—men have recently gotten in on the game—though not all carry the Chanel label. In the 1950s, Christian Dior defined the look of the LBD: full-skirted and wasp-waisted. The little black dress Hubert de Givenchy designed for Audrey Hepburn in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s is as representative of the early 1960s as Yves Saint Laurent’s sheer, feather-trimmed number of the latter part of that iconoclastic decade.
Cocktail dresses and LBDs, which are defined by their short(ish) length, are often one and the same. One of the reasons neither will ever go out of style is that there are myriad ways to play “mixologist” with the spare, neat LBD to give it just the kick you want. Cheers!
The little black dress plays such a starring role in our wardrobes that it has its own special designation: the LBD.
In 1926 Vogue dubbed a drawing of one of her snappy, drop-waisted LBDs, “The Chanel ‘Ford’—the frock that all the world will wear.”
From the moment Coco Chanel presented it to the world in the 1920s, the eternal dress became a canvas that almost every designer wanted to weave something of their own into. Although it has moved away from its basic principles, the little black dress has retained the same charm and the same note of seductiveness it once had, and new variations, as with every season so far, also graced the runways in the fall/winter 2024 collections.
Ultra-short models shone on the runways from Tom Ford, Schiaparelli, Givenchy, Giambattista Valli to Ferragamo, as well as many others, proving once again that the little black dress is a garment that will function in every collection and that will, ultimately, also surely be worn. Although the models of these fashion names differ and each has brought their own vision to the iconic dress, what they have in common is that they all serve as a good reminder that the charm of the little black dress does not fade and that we will always return to it, precisely because it is so timeless and versatile.
From the moment Coco Chanel presented it to the world in the 1920s, the eternal dress became a canvas that almost every designer wanted to weave something of their own into. Although it has moved away from its basic principles, the little black dress has retained the same charm and the same note of seductiveness it once had, and new variations, as with every season so far, also graced the runways in the fall/winter 2024 collections.
Ultra-short models shone on the runways from Tom Ford, Schiaparelli, Givenchy, Giambattista Valli to Ferragamo, as well as many others, proving once again that the little black dress is a garment that will function in every collection and that will, ultimately, also surely be worn.
Although the models of these fashion names differ and each has brought their own vision to the iconic dress, what they have in common is that they all serve as a good reminder that the charm of the little black dress does not fade and that we will always return to it, precisely because it is so timeless and versatile.
At a very young age Thushani Rodrigo discovered her love for fashion. An entrepreneur and a fashion designer, she loves to create clothes and garments for people to wear with pride.
Sri Lanka’s fashion landscape is about to experience a transformative shift as Thushani Rodrigo, the visionary founder of Todos, introduces Bliss in Paradise her latest collection with the inspiring ethos, “Wrap Yourself in Kindness.” Under the theme “Fashioning Tomorrow,” Thushani’s collection invites individuals to embrace Vegan Silk as a symbol of kindness towards animals and the environment.
The ethos “Wrap Yourself in Kindness” embodies the essence of Thushani’s collection, emphasizing the importance of compassion and sustainability in fashion. Through the use of Vegan Silk, derived from eco-friendly plant sources, Thushani encourages individuals to adopt a lifestyle of kindness towards animals and the planet.
Despite facing a hearing impairment, Thushani Rodrigo’s passion and determination have propelled her to remarkable heights in the world of fashion. At the age of 16, she earned her Diploma in-Dress Making from Singer School, laying the foundation for her entrepreneurial journey.
Today, Thushani stands as a beacon of innovation and sustainability in the fashion landscape. Her latest venture, which will be retailed at Cotton Collection underscores he- unwavering commitment to ethical fashion practices and environmental responsibility.
Vegan silk, also known as “plant-based silk” or “cruelty-free silk,” serves as the cornerstone of Thushani’s groundbreaking collection. Derived from sustainable plant sources, Vegan Fabric offers a sustainable and animal-friendly alternative to traditional silk.
Thushani’s designs, meticulously crafted from Vegan Fabric, embrace the female form while seamlessly blending sensuousness with practicality.
The launch of Thushani Rodrigo’s Vegan Fabric Collection with Cotton Collection heralds a new era of sustainable fashion in Sri Lanka. By embracing cruelty-free materials and ethical production practices, Thushani paves the way for a more conscious and compassionate fashion industry.
Join us in celebrating this monumental milestone in sustainable fashion as Thushani Rodrigo and Cotton Collection redefine the future of style with their innovative Vegan Fabric Collection.
For media inquiries, please contact: Ruwanthi Rodrigo 0777660477
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- Talented Tushani Rodrigo
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
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