A Double Anniversary

There was a gala celebration at the ballroom of the Galadari Hotel when Erid Suriyasena achieved forty-five years in the Batik business and thirty-five years of a happy marriage. A fashion show of specially created sarees caught the elite gathering with the originality and beauty of the clothes put on the catwalk.
Eric was among the very first of the entrepreneurs who brought into focus the dying art of Batik, which though originating in Malaysia spread to the other Asian countries with the ethnic designs and traditional designs creating an impact that made couturier news in the western hub of fashion. From this beginning of forty-five years ago which gradually slipped into near limbo, has now been revived with a new look and exuberance which is all out to capture the fashion world.
Among the sarees that were modelled that evening were some sure winners which were both refined in their design and colours and brought a new life and excitement to an art that has seen a revival in the recent past.
In the audience were many a personality and well dressed women and striking in a black saree spangled in silver was Danielle Kirkovven a former Miss. Sri Lanka and now a top model who is working mostly in India, who has gone completely blond raising many an argument as to whether the dark hair or the light suites her better. A beautiful aquamarine kurta was Shobana Nagendra’s choice to wear with black pants while Eric’s wife Minoli had her gold hued saree patterned in a large floral motif in red with a border and pallu in the same colour. Daughter-in-law leonie had her saree in a more abstract design in tones of olive green and aquamarine. Also seen in the audience were Padmi Maharaja, Marie Lyse, Rehana Kirkoven and many others among whom were Ramzi Rahman, Lou Ching Wong and culinary expert Koluu.
The show was followed by a buffet at which the conversation was around the décor including the ramp which was the work of event coordinators whose head was Leonie Suriyasena and of course the fresh impact the sarees had which will soon make its mark on the Colombo fashion scene.