Lihini Weeraratne, a 20-year-old medical undergraduate at Manipal University College Malaysia, was a victim of boredom, which then motivated her to pursue her passion for tie-dye. She loves being creative, and described herself as an introvert with a bubbly personality, which translates into her designs for online brand: Tie Dye by Lil.
Brunch caught up with her for a chat on her brand and her experience in the fashion industry.
Here’s what she had to say:
[caption id="attachment_140321" align="alignright" width="235"]
Lihini Weeraratne[/caption]
What inspired you to start up your brand?
This goes back to 2016, when I was absolutely fascinated and loved the concept of tie-dye. My friend and I wanted to purchase tie-dye T-shirts for an event, but then realised it wasn’t readily available in Sri Lanka. It was rather surprising, but to be honest, that was the day I realised that maybe I wanted to make tie-dye clothing one day. Quite obviously, I got wrapped up with school and the idea faded away. Until 2020 came around, and genuinely speaking, tie-dye was one distraction that I stumbled upon during quarantine. It was an upcoming trend around the world and undeniably, I wanted my own.
It started out as a hobby that I used to kill time with, but after a few experimental T-shirts, I realised how much I enjoyed it, and I decided to build a brand of my own. After much consultation with my family and peers, and of course with startup capital from my father who’s always believed in me, I decided to take a chance on it. So on 14 June 2020, Tiedyebylil was launched!
When did you discover your passion for fashion?
Well, this is an interesting question, since my main career is far from fashion. I’d say that I have a fairly good sense of style and I’d never step out of the house in cross-matching clothes but that’s as far as it goes! To be honest, when it comes to tie-dye I think that fashion doesn’t really matter, and that’s the best part about it. Playing around with peculiar requests from my customers and colours is one of the best parts about the manufacturing process!
What is the process behind making your products?
In the beginning, it was a one-man show. I managed everything, from going and shopping for raw materials, to making and packing the products. And later on, my friends and family helped immensely in every way they could. I get my T-shirts made from scratch; that way I can customise the item of clothing according to the customers preference. From there, it’s basically adding colours and waiting for the magic to happen! A T-shirt takes around four days in total for the manufacturing, since it's a wash-dry-wash-dry process, and rainy days are never in my favour! But all in all, that’s the basic process; it’s quite simple, but very time consuming. Nevertheless, the positive feedback from the customers make it all worthwhile.
Do you hope to expand your collection to other articles of clothing?
Well, currently our collection ranges from onesies for three-month-olds to 4XL T-shirts, and something that I love about tie-dye is that it’s unisex and there’s always an option for everyone!
But there’s always room for improvement, and maybe someday we’ll have options for your home!
Why did you decide to focus on tie-dye ?
When I launched my brand back in June 2020, tie dye was a scarcely available item on the Lankan market. And with my undying passion for playing and experimenting with colours, it seemed like a good idea to pursue. It’s amazing to see the growth of tie-dye within this year, and I’m glad that I got to be a part of the journey!
What makes your brand unique?
With all the upcoming brands and competition for tie-dye, it was quite the challenge to keep customers attracted to something that’s very readily available. In my opinion, I think it was mainly the colors of the dye that made it unique. I’ve gotten a lot of positive comments on the shades of dye and the packaging, which is eco-friendly and very minimal. But most importantly, it was the aesthetic of my Instagram page and my best friends who modelled for it that uplifted the brand entirely. Overall, it was a constant change and a very interactive process that kept the brand alive.
Do you think this third wave of Covid will affect your business?
After some difficult encounters in the past, I would say yes, every previous wave has affected my business, but very minutely. It’s usually a scenario where supply can’t meet the demand, as places go on lockdown and material is out of stock or delivery is on hold, again due to curfew. But all in all, my customers have been absolutely amazing in terms of being understanding and very patient when things got rough, and I’m extremely grateful.
Do you have any plans for the future?
Quite frankly, I’m a one-day-at-a-time kind of person. So at the moment I’m happy with where things are headed, and right now I’m focusing on my degree, so I’m immensely thankful to my mother and brother for stepping up and taking care of the business while I’m away. But there’s always room for tie-dye, and I’m excited to see what the future holds! Hopefully someday Tiedyebylil will expand to a place with parking space, stay tuned!
Instagram: @tiedyebylil
Lihini Weeraratne[/caption]
What inspired you to start up your brand?
This goes back to 2016, when I was absolutely fascinated and loved the concept of tie-dye. My friend and I wanted to purchase tie-dye T-shirts for an event, but then realised it wasn’t readily available in Sri Lanka. It was rather surprising, but to be honest, that was the day I realised that maybe I wanted to make tie-dye clothing one day. Quite obviously, I got wrapped up with school and the idea faded away. Until 2020 came around, and genuinely speaking, tie-dye was one distraction that I stumbled upon during quarantine. It was an upcoming trend around the world and undeniably, I wanted my own.
It started out as a hobby that I used to kill time with, but after a few experimental T-shirts, I realised how much I enjoyed it, and I decided to build a brand of my own. After much consultation with my family and peers, and of course with startup capital from my father who’s always believed in me, I decided to take a chance on it. So on 14 June 2020, Tiedyebylil was launched!
When did you discover your passion for fashion?
Well, this is an interesting question, since my main career is far from fashion. I’d say that I have a fairly good sense of style and I’d never step out of the house in cross-matching clothes but that’s as far as it goes! To be honest, when it comes to tie-dye I think that fashion doesn’t really matter, and that’s the best part about it. Playing around with peculiar requests from my customers and colours is one of the best parts about the manufacturing process!
What is the process behind making your products?
In the beginning, it was a one-man show. I managed everything, from going and shopping for raw materials, to making and packing the products. And later on, my friends and family helped immensely in every way they could. I get my T-shirts made from scratch; that way I can customise the item of clothing according to the customers preference. From there, it’s basically adding colours and waiting for the magic to happen! A T-shirt takes around four days in total for the manufacturing, since it's a wash-dry-wash-dry process, and rainy days are never in my favour! But all in all, that’s the basic process; it’s quite simple, but very time consuming. Nevertheless, the positive feedback from the customers make it all worthwhile.
Do you hope to expand your collection to other articles of clothing?
Well, currently our collection ranges from onesies for three-month-olds to 4XL T-shirts, and something that I love about tie-dye is that it’s unisex and there’s always an option for everyone!
But there’s always room for improvement, and maybe someday we’ll have options for your home!
Why did you decide to focus on tie-dye ?
When I launched my brand back in June 2020, tie dye was a scarcely available item on the Lankan market. And with my undying passion for playing and experimenting with colours, it seemed like a good idea to pursue. It’s amazing to see the growth of tie-dye within this year, and I’m glad that I got to be a part of the journey!
What makes your brand unique?
With all the upcoming brands and competition for tie-dye, it was quite the challenge to keep customers attracted to something that’s very readily available. In my opinion, I think it was mainly the colors of the dye that made it unique. I’ve gotten a lot of positive comments on the shades of dye and the packaging, which is eco-friendly and very minimal. But most importantly, it was the aesthetic of my Instagram page and my best friends who modelled for it that uplifted the brand entirely. Overall, it was a constant change and a very interactive process that kept the brand alive.
Do you think this third wave of Covid will affect your business?
After some difficult encounters in the past, I would say yes, every previous wave has affected my business, but very minutely. It’s usually a scenario where supply can’t meet the demand, as places go on lockdown and material is out of stock or delivery is on hold, again due to curfew. But all in all, my customers have been absolutely amazing in terms of being understanding and very patient when things got rough, and I’m extremely grateful.
Do you have any plans for the future?
Quite frankly, I’m a one-day-at-a-time kind of person. So at the moment I’m happy with where things are headed, and right now I’m focusing on my degree, so I’m immensely thankful to my mother and brother for stepping up and taking care of the business while I’m away. But there’s always room for tie-dye, and I’m excited to see what the future holds! Hopefully someday Tiedyebylil will expand to a place with parking space, stay tuned!
Instagram: @tiedyebylil