Ruwanthi is a semi-finalist of the Redress Design Award 2021. She holds a BA (Hons) in Fashion & Textile Design from AOD - Northumbria University, Sri Lanka.

“I live in a region where owning something pre-loved or wearing garments with reconstructed fabrics are considered economically and socially inferior. As a designer I hope to educate more people about how valuable sustainable fashion can be, both environmentally and aesthetically.” - Ruwanthi Pavithra Gajadeera

redress Design Award Collection

Ruwanthi’s Redress Design Award collection, ‘kǣli’, meaning pieces, celebrates the diminishing heritage craftsmanship in her region of Sri Lanka. She upcycles multiple types of end-of-roll and deadstock waste fabrics and secondhand clothing together through the use of patchwork, crochet, and handweaving. Combining these low-tech processes with high-tech Ozone bleaching and laser printing techniques to further transform the waste materials, Ruwanthi aims to create quality, timeless ‘generational garments’ that will have multiple wearers throughout their lives. Beyond traditional labelling, the collection includes transparency on the fabrics and how to recycle.

REGION:
Sri Lanka

DESIGN TECHNIQUES:
Zero-waste, Upcycling, Reconstruction  

COLLECTION :
Womenswear