Supermodel Sri Lanka by CFW Concludes on a High

Supermodel Sri Lanka by CFW Concludes on a High

In its attempt to boost the profile of Sri Lankan modelling industry Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) launched Supermodel Sri Lanka (SMSL). The island wide hunt saw an astonishing 260 applications of which 15 girls and 15 boys were selected by an esteemed panel of judges who are veterans in the industry.  A contest for fresh faces and not a pageant, that will encourage participation for all categories of modeling including Catwalk, Print, TV and Films.

The SMSL search has yielded rich dividends by training and grooming 30 Sri Lankan youngsters to take up modelling as a serious and noteworthy profession. Ajai Vir Singh, President, CFW, together with the other members of the judging panel which consisted of Otara Gunawardena, Fouzul Hameed, Shalin Balasuriya and Ramani Fernando, selected youngsters from a cross section of applicants, some with previous experience but mostly fresh faces to the industry. The panel of judges was headed by Prasad Bidapa, whose track record boasts of identifying two Miss Universe winners, Deepika Padukone and Anoushka Sharma. He also works as consultant to Ford Models in India and his team worked in unison to mentor, groom and train the 30 finalists to not only walk the catwalk in Sri Lanka but overseas as well.

Speaking of the launch of Supermodel Sri Lanka, Ajai Vir Singh, President, CFW stated: ‘‘The fashion industry in Sri Lanka has a lot of potential to develop further. We launched Supermodel Sri Lanka because this is another vital element of fashion and there is a lot of potential for us to develop fresh faces that would shine in the world as people with personality and charm. Modelling is a complementary industry to fashion and it required a boost hence why we are working with Otara and key brands like Sifani, Luv Essence, Fouzul of FH, Ramani to build a professional modelling infrastructure.’’

SMSL is a contest where the focus is on training and grooming all 30 models to perfection. Speaking of the contest, Prasad Bidapa, Event Director stated: “Our purpose is to create an international level of training and grooming for these young models to benefit the fashion industry in Sri Lanka and to also offer these youngsters the opportunity to go international.”

SMSL is not a pageant in the accepted sense of the word. It feeds winners in the important categories of modelling for the fashion industry. It identifies Runway & Catwalk models that will walk the walk on stage. It identifies potential Sri Lankan Supermodels like Adam Flamer Caldera who is the Ford Supermodel page and who has modeled at high profile fashion shoots for renowned brands such as Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Bastian. It looks for TV models who are energetic and expressive actors. It encourages diversity and celebrates the fact that every model has a potential market and helps models concentrate on their strong points and best markets. Having undergone 7 days of intensive training by industry experts training them in various facets of Runway, Print, TV, Dance and Print, these models now look at making a mark nationally and internationally.