Day Five of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka 2025 concluded in spectacular style as The Colombo Edit Runway brought the week’s programming to a glamorous finale. Presented by the Academy of Design (AOD) and powered by DIMO, the official authorised distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Sri Lanka, the event transformed Cinnamon Life – the City of Dreams, into a celebration of modern Sri Lankan and South Asian design visionaries. The evening gathered Colombo’s most influential creative voices, capturing the pulse, rhythm, and identity of the city through fashion, performance, and atmosphere.
A Finale Rooted in Identity
What set this closing show apart was its strong emphasis on identity and originality. Designers collaborated closely with the MBFWSL creative team in the weeks leading up to the event, submitting proposals, textile concepts, silhouettes, and mood boards before being matched to the runway direction that best represented their aesthetic vision. Clarity of concept and authenticity guided this selection process, allowing each collection to stand on its own while contributing to a collective story.
The Colombo Edit became a tribute to the city itself, its skyline, movement, contrasts, people, and unfiltered creative energy. While earlier runways across the week explored themes such as future craft and emerging talent, the finale stepped directly into Colombo’s urban heartbeat, creating an immersive experience rooted in place and contemporary South Asian identity.
A Stage Where Tradition Met Modernity
The evening opened with a striking contemporary Veena performance by an artist from Jaffna, seamlessly merging classical tradition with modern sound. The stage design continued this dialogue, featuring large botanical installations inspired by Ikebana and created with tropical produce in partnership with a botanical designer. The result was a sculptural runway environment that felt alive, organic, and artistically bold.
Behind the Curtains: Craft and Collaboration
Behind the scenes, designers and models spent intensive hours refining their looks during fittings with stylist Daniel Franklin. Every detail,from hems and proportions to accessories,was adjusted to ensure visual consistency and narrative strength. A shared archive of footwear and jewellery provided added flexibility, ensuring that each designer could remain true to their aesthetic while still contributing to a cohesive runway experience.
Charini: Spaces in and Between
Among the designers shaping Colombo’s creative direction was Charini Suriyage, whose collection Spaces in and Between explored the emotional and visual memory of Colombo. Inspired by the city’s architectural contrasts, the nightlife of Park Street, and nostalgic sensory markers, from Elephant House Orange Barley to the textures of everyday life; the collection became a love letter to what the city means to those who live there, have left, or continue to return. Hand-printed textiles and crafted surface embellishments added depth, texture, and emotional resonance, turning memory into wearable design.
Amilani
Amilani Perera presented a collection rooted in Sri Lanka’s handloom heritage, developed through collaborations with UNFPA and the Women’s Development Centre. The textiles, woven by survivors, became the heart of each garment, transforming the collection into a narrative of resilience, craft, and identity. Motifs inspired by the carvings of Embekka Devalaya were paired with laser-cut metallic applications, merging tradition with contemporary innovation. The result was a runway experience that felt like stepping into a living archive, where history and modernity sat comfortably side by side, each garment carrying not just craftsmanship but human stories.
Gaurav: Starlight
From India, Gaurav Jai Gupta brought Starlight, the latest in a series of textile-driven collections that began with The Sky is White and Moonrise. At Akaaro, every fabric is designed and woven in-house,sometimes incorporating metallic yarns such as copper or stainless steel, making each textile an engineered project in itself. Hot pinks moved powerfully through the lineup, evoking sunrise and energy, while the silhouettes conveyed strength, independence, and modern Indian femininity. The collection felt controlled yet expressive, capturing a design language that was minimal, confident, and unmistakably contemporary.
A City, A Moment, A Direction
In the end, The Colombo Edit positioned the city not only as a fashion destination but as a rising creative hub within the region. With sophisticated production, thoughtful narratives, and an emphasis on craftsmanship and identity, the finale offered a bold statement on where Sri Lankan and South Asian fashion are heading next; forward, modern, and unmistakably authentic.
