WHEN I TALK to Amesh Wijesekera, he is in Berlin, in the sanctuary of his home that he shares with his partner. Yet his heart, thoughts, and emotions are tightly wound around his home country many miles away—the teardrop island of Sri Lanka.
It's been a roller coaster few months for the designer who, just a few weeks ago, was in Paris living a dreamscape reality as a semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize 2022.
Past winners of the €300,000 prize for emerging talent have included bright sparks like Simon Porte Jacquemus, Grace Wales Bonner and Thebe Magugu. The collection showcase at Avenue Montaigne in March, was distinguished by the juxtaposition of its prints, colours and competing textures that subtly connect and peaceably, beautifully coexist. Shot and made by the designer amid 16-hour power cuts in a bleeding paradise island undergoing its worst economic downturn yet, the collection remains an ode to it.
As an ascendent designer from the subcontinent with a platform that pulls а weight beyond borders, Wijesekera is aware of his unique position of privilege.
FAMILY AFFAIR
Wijesekera, who moonlights as the head chef at a popular Sri Lankan restaurant in Berlin, draws inspiration from the depiction of boys and men in Wendt’s striking portraiture
He uses its responsibility intentionally and knowingly to traffic in truth and create a beautiful, intoxicating reality. Serendepitously, the 28-year-old designer created his label in 2019, as a refuge for fellow members of the queer community who, like him, are using fashion as a tool for self-discovery.
Denne historien er fra May 2022-utgaven av VOGUE India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 2022-utgaven av VOGUE India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.
