Sri Lankan designer KÛR’s sprung into her first fashion week presentation with serene Spring / Summer looks that explored all ranges of femininity. KÛR accentuates her signature and traditional hand made Beeralu lace in a series of ruffles, pants, and skirts.
“I launched this label in 2009 and rather than taking a short cut, we took the harder way to do that. I incorporated hand crafted lace, which is not very easy,” says KÛR’s Kasuni Rathnasuriya. “It’s a dying craft, specifically in Sri Lankan. As a kid I never thought I would incorporate as such a big element in fashion [after seeing it as a kid growing up].”
The clothes are all hand made in Sri Lanka. Each piece has volume, delicate knitting, and contains lace ruffles. You’ll see different collars and shirts for both feminine and masculine types–each have a romantic element.
“Our clothes are a labor of love,” Rathnasuriya shares. “People are moving towards fast fashion but our customer understands they need to spend their money on something valuable, ethically made, and that’s sustainable.”
The ready-to-wear collection has been inspired by Rathnasuriya’s travels. The side strips on her pants are inspired by street-fashion, which she’s seen much of in sweat pants. She created a dress pant, with side strips, and added ruffles to day-wear.
The woman wearing KÛR is strong, confident, and likes to stand out. It’s suited to a person of all ages who understands the value of art and craftsmanship.
Besides elaborating on hand-embroidery in her pieces, KÛR also collaborated with Tokyo-based print artist Mitsushige Nishiwaki to create a white graphic T-shirt, to create an “urban dimension” in her collection.
