Thursday, October 28, 2004
Threading her way to the top
W@W meets designer Sonali White
By Damitha Hemachandra
Ever stopped to admire some of the glittering kurtha tops at certain leading fashion stores? Meet the face behind the glitter-Sonali White the owner and designer of ‘Haddai’, a leading fashion label in town.
After having taken a ‘U’ turn from her insurance career in Dubai, Sonali had been a fashion designer for the past six years and can’t think of a life without it!
“ After working nearly two and half years as a re-insurance executive for a London based firm in Dubai, I took up fashion designing as a past time on my arrival in Sri Lanka,” Sonali explained.
“ My first designs were for family and friends,” she said adding that she started her business since most of her early designs were met with much enthusiasm.
The first steps of ‘Haddai’ was taken with just two helping hands but it had evolved into a high flying business with 30 permanent staff and ten casuals just after six years.
Most of the ‘Haddai’ products are western dresses with an eastern touch, carrying hand embroidery; beads and glittering sequences attracting customers aged 15 to 35 years.
“ We are doing all the work in house from pattern designing, cutting, stitching to value additions like embroidery and beading,” she said.
Moreover her efforts to fuse local taste to western patterns could be seen in oriental embroidery patterns, batik and beading found in most of her designs.
‘Haddai’ caters to some of the leading fashion outlets in town, but also serves individual orders to suit personal designs, tastes and characteristics- even bridal dresses.
Yet ‘Haddai’ caters to so much more. She was responsible for the dresses of the recently staged much loved theatrical R&J (Romeo and Juliet) and had been designing and producing dresses for Theatre productions by Elizabeth Moir School.
Talking more of her work Sonali insists that fashion designing is not glamorous or glittering as it seems.
“ It is a 24/7 job and being a perfectionist I find my self giving more and more into work,” Sonali said.
“ Fashion designing is a roller coaster journey with lot of dead lines and demands and includes lot of effort and team work, never boring and dull, which could also be addictive sometime”.
So what attracted her to this exciting but hectic profession?
“ I have always being a fashion lover and had loved clothes,” Sonali said adding that a good cloth for her should have a good cut, of quality material, simple and elegant.
“ And I always liked arts and wanted to do something to do with art and drawing,”- and fashion designing suited her needs perfectly!
Talking of immediate and future plans of ‘Haddai’, Sonali explained how the ‘Haddai’ team is gearing up for the ‘Colombo Fashion Week’, which is to be held next month and another Asian regional fashion festival including many South Asian and Asia Pacific countries.
However expansion of ‘Haddai’ as a brand and a brand chain too is in the mind of enterprising Sonali, who wants to introduce a new clothes line for men, initiate a brand shop for ‘Haddai’ and introduce ‘Haddai’ to international markets.
“We used to export many ‘Haddai’ products to Dubai, Australia and Canada,” but gave up since we couldn’t keep up with the demand,” Sonali said adding that her main aim however is to improve more on the creativity and quality of Haddai products.
Any future plans for her self?
“ I wish I had more time for my self to relax, chill out with my friends, travel and learn new things, but at the moment this is all I want to do”.
By Damitha Hemachandra
Ever stopped to admire some of the glittering kurtha tops at certain leading fashion stores? Meet the face behind the glitter-Sonali White the owner and designer of ‘Haddai’, a leading fashion label in town.
After having taken a ‘U’ turn from her insurance career in Dubai, Sonali had been a fashion designer for the past six years and can’t think of a life without it!
“ After working nearly two and half years as a re-insurance executive for a London based firm in Dubai, I took up fashion designing as a past time on my arrival in Sri Lanka,” Sonali explained.
“ My first designs were for family and friends,” she said adding that she started her business since most of her early designs were met with much enthusiasm.
The first steps of ‘Haddai’ was taken with just two helping hands but it had evolved into a high flying business with 30 permanent staff and ten casuals just after six years.
Most of the ‘Haddai’ products are western dresses with an eastern touch, carrying hand embroidery; beads and glittering sequences attracting customers aged 15 to 35 years.
“ We are doing all the work in house from pattern designing, cutting, stitching to value additions like embroidery and beading,” she said.
Moreover her efforts to fuse local taste to western patterns could be seen in oriental embroidery patterns, batik and beading found in most of her designs.
‘Haddai’ caters to some of the leading fashion outlets in town, but also serves individual orders to suit personal designs, tastes and characteristics- even bridal dresses.
Yet ‘Haddai’ caters to so much more. She was responsible for the dresses of the recently staged much loved theatrical R&J (Romeo and Juliet) and had been designing and producing dresses for Theatre productions by Elizabeth Moir School.
Talking more of her work Sonali insists that fashion designing is not glamorous or glittering as it seems.
“ It is a 24/7 job and being a perfectionist I find my self giving more and more into work,” Sonali said.
“ Fashion designing is a roller coaster journey with lot of dead lines and demands and includes lot of effort and team work, never boring and dull, which could also be addictive sometime”.
So what attracted her to this exciting but hectic profession?
“ I have always being a fashion lover and had loved clothes,” Sonali said adding that a good cloth for her should have a good cut, of quality material, simple and elegant.
“ And I always liked arts and wanted to do something to do with art and drawing,”- and fashion designing suited her needs perfectly!
Talking of immediate and future plans of ‘Haddai’, Sonali explained how the ‘Haddai’ team is gearing up for the ‘Colombo Fashion Week’, which is to be held next month and another Asian regional fashion festival including many South Asian and Asia Pacific countries.
However expansion of ‘Haddai’ as a brand and a brand chain too is in the mind of enterprising Sonali, who wants to introduce a new clothes line for men, initiate a brand shop for ‘Haddai’ and introduce ‘Haddai’ to international markets.
“We used to export many ‘Haddai’ products to Dubai, Australia and Canada,” but gave up since we couldn’t keep up with the demand,” Sonali said adding that her main aim however is to improve more on the creativity and quality of Haddai products.
Any future plans for her self?
“ I wish I had more time for my self to relax, chill out with my friends, travel and learn new things, but at the moment this is all I want to do”.
Left-Right dispute leaves Tissa farmers dry
By Damitha Hemachandra
Farmers in Tissamaharama and Lunugamwehera, who depend on water from the Kirindi Oya Development Project claim that they were not getting the required amount of water for cultivation.
The farmers plan to stage a protest rally at Lunugamwehera against the water distribution plan, which they said had not provided them with enough water for agriculture since 1992.
The dispute between the farmer groups on left and right banks of the project over the Kirindi Oya waters had left nearly 2,000 families on the Left Bank without water for cultivation.
The water levels in the Kirindhi Oya had reduced drastically since the early '90s due to drought in the Southern areas.
President of the Tissa Farmer Group Organisations, Ranjith Kumarasinghe said the present method of water distribution had left farmers on the Left Bank with inadequate water to cultivate two harvesting periods a year.
"Although we have repeatedly requested the District Agriculture Officer to amend the water plan to distribute water in an equitable manner the protests from the farmer groups on the Right Bank had prevented action being taken," he said.
Meanwhile in a letter to the Prime Minister, Ministers and officials the farmer groups had demanded the appointment of a technical committee to investigate amendments to the present water plan.
The farmers also called on the government to reconstruct the old tanks and irrigation systems in the area to store rainwater for the dry season.
Farmers in Tissamaharama and Lunugamwehera, who depend on water from the Kirindi Oya Development Project claim that they were not getting the required amount of water for cultivation.
The farmers plan to stage a protest rally at Lunugamwehera against the water distribution plan, which they said had not provided them with enough water for agriculture since 1992.
The dispute between the farmer groups on left and right banks of the project over the Kirindi Oya waters had left nearly 2,000 families on the Left Bank without water for cultivation.
The water levels in the Kirindhi Oya had reduced drastically since the early '90s due to drought in the Southern areas.
President of the Tissa Farmer Group Organisations, Ranjith Kumarasinghe said the present method of water distribution had left farmers on the Left Bank with inadequate water to cultivate two harvesting periods a year.
"Although we have repeatedly requested the District Agriculture Officer to amend the water plan to distribute water in an equitable manner the protests from the farmer groups on the Right Bank had prevented action being taken," he said.
Meanwhile in a letter to the Prime Minister, Ministers and officials the farmer groups had demanded the appointment of a technical committee to investigate amendments to the present water plan.
The farmers also called on the government to reconstruct the old tanks and irrigation systems in the area to store rainwater for the dry season.
MP monk wants removal of SU members
By Damitha Hemachandra
The nearly-resolved conflict within the Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU) deepened again creating conflict within the Supreme Sangha Council over the demands of Ven. Uduwe Dammaloka Thera, party sources said yesterday.
Despite protest from many members of the Supreme Sangha Council Ven. Dammaloka Thera demanded the removal of many Sihala Urumaya members who were holding important posts in the Central Committee. Many felt that it was ungrateful to do so after the contributions they had made towards the victory of the JHU during the last elections.
Parliamentary Group Leader, Ven. Athuraliye Ratana Thera earlier insisted that there would be no immediate changes in the party while adding that the journey towards a 'Dharmarajya' included the laity as well.
Meanwhile party sources denied recent rumours of the resignation of Ven. Dammaloka Thera from the party. They said Ven. Dammaloka Thera would not be following the path of Ven. Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera, who too opposed the high political posts in the party by SU members.
Breaking his earlier pledge not to go public until November 4, Ven. Uduwe Dammaloka Thera accused his political opponents of trying to assassinate him politically. He alleged some groups within the JHU were trying to hold him in negative light with the assistance of the UNP and UNP-backed media.
The Daily Mirror learns that this move was taken despite pleas from the rest of the Supreme Sangha Council to resolve matters within the party and the pledges by Ven. Dammaloka Thera not go public if the Supreme Sangha Council cleared him of allegations about some alleged vehicle dealings.
The nearly-resolved conflict within the Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU) deepened again creating conflict within the Supreme Sangha Council over the demands of Ven. Uduwe Dammaloka Thera, party sources said yesterday.
Despite protest from many members of the Supreme Sangha Council Ven. Dammaloka Thera demanded the removal of many Sihala Urumaya members who were holding important posts in the Central Committee. Many felt that it was ungrateful to do so after the contributions they had made towards the victory of the JHU during the last elections.
Parliamentary Group Leader, Ven. Athuraliye Ratana Thera earlier insisted that there would be no immediate changes in the party while adding that the journey towards a 'Dharmarajya' included the laity as well.
Meanwhile party sources denied recent rumours of the resignation of Ven. Dammaloka Thera from the party. They said Ven. Dammaloka Thera would not be following the path of Ven. Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera, who too opposed the high political posts in the party by SU members.
Breaking his earlier pledge not to go public until November 4, Ven. Uduwe Dammaloka Thera accused his political opponents of trying to assassinate him politically. He alleged some groups within the JHU were trying to hold him in negative light with the assistance of the UNP and UNP-backed media.
The Daily Mirror learns that this move was taken despite pleas from the rest of the Supreme Sangha Council to resolve matters within the party and the pledges by Ven. Dammaloka Thera not go public if the Supreme Sangha Council cleared him of allegations about some alleged vehicle dealings.
