Nishika Samaratunga

Nishika, also an artist, started painting at the age of 3 years and graduated to fashion designing around the age of 7, emerging the first runner-up at the open age, all island “Fashion Designer of the Year” in 2005, at the age of 13. Following her success in “Fashion Designer of the Year”, she was invited to participate as a Guest Designer in “Fashion Statement” a high level charity fashion show alongside leading Indian designers. She has, since then, carved a niche for herself in the Sri Lankan fashion industry and has had several fashion shows, working with top professional models, showcasing her range of hand painted sarees, casual wear and evening wear at high profile charity events in aid of causes such as early detection of cancer and prevention of end stage renal failure. She was the youngest ever designer participating at the recent HSBC Colombo Fashion Week, in February 2010, which included the participation of many international designers such as Agatha de la Prada of Spain, Bibi Russell of Bangladesh and Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bahl of India. Here she showcased her Pret a Porter Spring/Summer collection on day 1. Nishika was most recently invited to showcase her latest collection ‘Silk and Spice’, alongside an array of leading designers at a high level Charity Fundraiser in aid of ‘Educate a Child Trust’, held in Bloomsbury, London.

Nishika’s designs aim to revitalize the concept of femininity in an ‘ode to women’. The fabrics used range from vaporous chiffon and fluid silk crepes to cotton and linen, conveying elegant ease. Her colour palette varies from translucent champagne and coral to bold tomato puree and turquoise blue giving femininity an aura of dynamism and self confidence whilst retaining a sensuous and youthful air. Presented in western silhouettes, her designs aim to reinforce the self confidence of women in empowering femininity.