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UDĀK by Umanga Kulasekara 

27 Dec 2020

By Mahika Panditha  If you have been to Urban Island, I am pretty sure you have come across this beautiful brand. UDĀK is a sustainable brand that offers beautiful products inspired by our island’s rich heritage. The talented and stunning face behind it is Umanga Kulasekara. She is a corporate swimwear designer at MAS Linea Aqua as well as the founder of UDĀK. She hopes to help the community through her designing and has many goals! Umanga also enjoys the occasional historical romance novel, munchies, and a cup of tea! We are right there with you, girl! We had the chance to have a small chat with Umanga earlier this week, and here is what she had to say.     So, how did you get into fashion design?   It’s a self-discovery I made when I left school. I was familiar with design as I watched my brother pursue his career as a successful interior designer. As for me, I wasn’t quite sure where I’d fit in, even though I was keen on designing.  As a kid, I remember that I used to plan out my outfits for an outing weeks/a month ahead. And I loved putting together quirky pieces and wasn’t afraid to dress differently as well.   I used to go through fashion magazines and read all about the collections and inspiration behind them.  It was the freedom of communicating through clothing that I fell in love with. And I felt I had something in me that I could contribute to the industry. Once this was confirmed, I decided to stop wasting my time doing something that I had no passion for and immediately started on my journey by enrolling myself at AOD (Academy of Design) to polish up, learn, and grow as a fashion designer.    Talk to us about UDAK. How did the brand come about?   UDAK came into life as a brand that practices ‘sustainability is style’. The bigger picture I had in mind wasn’t about the creation of glamorous clothes. Of course, that was one of the aspects. However, because I grew up during a time when the alarming effects of climate change was brought to the forefront, it was my passion to help a community or the planet in any way I could.  Meeting the artisans during my college tour further fuelled this passion.  Many traditional weavers around the country continue their struggle to sustain and preserve their generations-old unique skill that is slowly fading into oblivion. The moment I saw the complex, eco-friendly weaving techniques, and heard the artisans’ story and their struggles, it made me realise that if I were to bring in my own label to the fashion industry, it had to empower a community in need; also, to revive this method of textile design into contemporary silhouettes.   UDAK follows sustainable practices. How would you say UDAK is different from other green brands?   Sustainability could be explained in many ways. Yet, for the fashion industry, sustainability means “environmental protection, social justice, economic fairness, and cultural validity”. How UDAK relates to sustainability is by tapping into each of them step by step.  Handwoven fabrics are made by hand using a handloom. Handlooms are environment-friendly and are independent and autonomous to technology, and also provide sustainable employment to rural areas in Sri Lanka. Our aim is to build up a business model focused on the economic and social development of the families of artisans we closely work with. Also, more than a workforce, UDAK considers these artisans as close family. Our goal is to support these artisans to continue their passion and improve their livelihoods by reaching out as contemporarily conscious warriors, to tell our story through a range of versatile clothing that will follow an alternative compared to fast fashion – low-volume, high-value logic. Furthermore, by incorporating ududumbara hand weaving, UDAK strives to decrease the already minimum use of machinery in the production process.   In your journey as an entrepreneur, what have been your biggest lessons?   Entrepreneurship can be a tough and long journey for many people, especially in 2020.  I’m still in the process of learning and growing. The first lesson was to teach myself to stop overthinking.  Too many times I've thought of an idea and then contemplated various scenarios and how it could play out. I analysed every aspect and tried to guess and estimate all the eventualities. But later, I realised the best approach is to just start building and testing an idea – brainstorm a quick way to put together a product to send to potential customers and observe and receive real feedback to help you polish your idea. I love to talk to whoever I meet about their ideas on products and services and to understand their needs and preferences.    Any funny stories for us?    Too many. Let’s just say that I’d rather keep it to myself, as they are way too embarrassing.    What is your opinion on the current status of the fashion industry in Sri Lanka in terms of sustainable practices?   I guess some of us are truly trying our best to jump onto the sustainability wagon in many ways. We do have a long way to go, but it’s always comforting to know that some brands are making commitments. I have so much respect for all eco-conscious brands that are genuinely practicing ethical approaches to bring out a better product for the consumers.    If you had to give young entrepreneurs advice about going into the fashion industry in Sri Lanka, what would you say?    The fashion industry has a catastrophic impact on the environment, and it is the second-largest polluter in the world, just after the oil industry. The environmental damage is increasing as the industry grows. Securing a sustainable future for the planet and humankind is one of the defining challenges of our time. But if we simply incorporate mindful thinking into our lives, we could make a positive impact and fashion will no longer be a word related to pollution.  Without assuming the situation is out of our hands, and without waiting for politics and organisations to wake up, as entrepreneurs, we can always do our part. Bring out more eco-conscious products and services.    Other than designing, what do you like to do in your free time?   If I make some time for myself, depending on the day, I’d make up a plan.  For instance, on a Sunday, I always love to indulge myself by reading a good novel. I have always loved the idea of transporting myself into a different era or some fantasy world through reading.    Photos Umanga Kulasekara and UDĀK


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