On my way out of Sri Lanka I had one day planned in its capital, Colombo, to meet some of the Fashion Revolution (FR) team (see more information on the organisation here). After recently seeing that the FR Vietnam Country Coordinator had made contact with the team in India while she was there, I had been inspired to do the same in Sri Lanka. I would also meet, Keshini, a girl I’d met on Host A Sister, a great Facebook group I recently discovered where women can host, stay with and meet other women as we travel around the world.

My hired driver picked me up from Arugam Bay around 9:30pm and we spent the night travelling towards Colombo – a journey that started like a mini safari, passing buffalo, rabbits, a mouse, and even having to wait patiently until an elephant decided it wanted to get off the road – arriving into the city at around 7am. 

Dropping off my bags (it was way too early to check in), I headed out towards Urban Island outlet store. It would not be open for a couple of hours so I took a slow walk, stopping for sustenance in the form of ridiculously expensive not great tasting coffee, and some mediocre vegetable rottis (I missed Arugam and its food already!). It was a delightful time of day to be outside. The city was waking up, and with it were the morning exercise enthusiasts. In addition to joggers and people using exercise equipment in the park, there were some workmen squatting while holding spades above their heads, or hoisting a huge tyre back and forth along the small parking area they were standing in!

As I’d made prior arrangements to meet with members of the FR team that evening, that morning I was going only to browse the shop and see what they had to offer. I was immediately impressed with how wonderfully the place is thought out. Mini departments created for the different types of products: homeware; skin products; clothing; books; food; etc. Colours in each section complimenting each other perfectly. I took my time wandering around, reading labels or small placards which provide information on the production process and sometimes, the people who would benefit from a purchase made.

On my return visit that evening I learnt that the country branch of FR is undertaken by Design Corp – the parent company of several sustainable businesses in Sri Lanka. Urban Island is one of a number of projects undertaken by the organisation and FR, it seems, is just one part of something much larger. Two of the companies operating under Design Corp are – the Design for Sustainable Development Foundation (DSDF) and the Academy of Design (AOD). The AOD being a college specifically for students who are working towards creating sustainable fashion.

The AOD gives students and graduates the opportunity to be involved in design processes and work with different artisans around the country. The goal being to work sustainably, as well as to preserve craft and heritage skills. Some graduates have their lines featured in the Urban Island store. 

One area the DSDF focuses on is material innovation. At the time of my visit they were looking at turning old plastics into new clothes. The Sri Lanka cricket jersey, for example, was made from recycled plastic bottles found in the ocean. A symbol of a turtle displayed on the jersey represents a species which is suffering greatly as our plastic continues to fill their natural habitat.

I was shown around by Pumudu, one of the attendants (also a student at the art college), and Lakmi who works at the DSDF. As they explained different products and areas of the shop it was clear to see the passion and work which goes into everything. From the production process, to the way items are displayed in-store, every minute detail seems to be considered.

It soon emerged that Urban Island was launched as part of a larger project for empowering women around the country. Many parts of the nation, particularly Jaffna in the north, endured great hardship due to Sri Lanka’s civil war (1983 – 2009) and were in desperate need of a way to move forward to create a living for themselves. Rather than just giving money to families, there was a desire to provide the inhabitants of rural villages with skills from which they could earn money, providing a long-term solution. Women in particular are trained in skills which were becoming lost arts: fabric and clothing creation and design; using techniques such as dumbara weaving; and batik art. The shop is a result of ensuring there is an outlet for them to sell what it is they produce.

I was informed that Sri Lanka is ahead of the game sustainability wise, with the majority of the apparel on the market produced locally. Though one particular area where focus is needed is the improvement of communication and relationships between all the different artisans throughout the country, thus allowing them to expand their spheres of influence and access to markets.

If you happen to be passing through Sri Lanka I highly recommend visiting the Urban Island shop, or one of the other sustainable outlets throughout the city with similar goals such as Barefoot, Fashionmarket.lk, and Wax Craqqs.

By the end of the day, with so much new information to absorb, my head felt as though it may burst trying to hold it all in! It was a truly inspirational experience to learn about the innovation and drive so many people in this wonderful country possess. So it was that I left Sri Lanka feeling a love not only for the natural beauty of this country, but also for the many hard-working and passionate souls who are determined to change this world for the better.