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Unique artisanal clothing

08 Oct 2022

  • U D Ā K by Umanga Kulasekara
By Nuskiya Nasar Founded by designer Umanga Kulasekara, the brand U D Ā K is committed to using sustainable materials and practices, and its products are made to last. We love their unique take on sustainable wear, and we know you will too. Here is everything you need to know about U D Ā K before you make your first or next purchase with them.  Tell us a little bit about yourself.  We are a goal-oriented and conscious brand with an eye for commercial, industrial fashion, and detail in product styling. Tell us about how U D Ā K came to life. U D Ā K came to life as a brand that celebrates producing clothing and experiences that bind people, places, customs, cultures, and communities. We believe that as a local heritage clothing brand, we have a responsibility to reflect a desire to engage with our products in a more meaningful and thoughtful way. By incorporating Sri Lankan ‘Ududumbara’ hand weaving into clothing, U D Ā K strives to offer a carefully crafted product that is a collection of skill, time, and true craftsmanship. Each handcrafted piece will carry a unique quality with a genuine living spirit that makes the product one-of-a-kind. Weaving is an ancient craft that has been passed down through generations in Sri Lanka. But now, this traditional art is being threatened by machine-made fabrics. What is U D Ā K doing to protect weave culture?  We are doing this by maintaining the tradition of weaving – creating textiles that symbolise the rich heritage and culture in each collection we launch.  Our goal is to support the local artisans in resurrecting a dying form of art and to help continue their passion. We want to help them grow by reaching out to conscious consumers in the current market through a range of contemporary collections. Furthermore, through our social media platforms, we make sure to communicate our behind-the-scenes content apart from fashion shoots. It’s our priority to produce educational social media content to show the viewers what our brand stands for. We started by introducing the history behind weaving and have now moved to defining key areas of weaving and artisanal interviews to give more clarity to our beloved community. Can you tell us a bit about the process of incorporating handwoven fabric into U D Ā K’s designs? How do you choose the right fabrics and patterns to complement one another? Every collection we launch incorporating Ududumbara weaving seeks to encourage current generations to pick up the age-old tradition and learn how the unique patterns and raw materials represent our country’s rich and diverse culture. At U D Ā K, we use two types of yarn in textile production – cotton and rayon.  Cotton is used particularly in our day-to-day line of clothing to achieve a soft and breathable texture to withstand our island climate. Even the colour palette for each launch is inspired by nature. We lean more towards earthy tones to celebrate the beauty our country has to offer. Through this, we manage to maintain a trans-seasonal colour palette which makes the garments more versatile. For special occasion sarees, to give them a more regal elegance, we mix cotton and rayon together to achieve the perfect silky texture. This allows the material to be lightweight, giving the wearer that extra level of comfort and confidence. What is your take on handweaving being a catalyst in sustainability?  Artisanal fashion, which produces the kind of fabrics and garments that are made with simple tools, can be a change agent in developing worlds because it is an alternative to fast fashion; low volume and high-value logic. Handloom is a sustainable kind of weaving that does not require electric machinery. Because handloom woven fabrics are woven by hand, the artisans are quite gentle with the fabric. Ethical manufacturing and production are an integral part of sustainability.  At U D Ā K, we ensure that every one of the products is made with the least amount of waste. There is no such thing as zero-waste manufacturing, but handloom is the closest that comes to it. On top of everything, handweaving generates sustainable employment in rural areas in Sri Lanka. These handweaving workshops are mostly placed at artisans’ homes which gives women in rural areas the opportunity to balance work and household responsibilities. What do you aspire to achieve through U D Ā K? What is its vision? We love that you can see the human hand in every one of our imperfect textiles. We think of our artisans as family. Even though we say it’s handcrafted, in reality, our products come from the heart. Here at U D Ā K, we celebrate brand humanisation. Our vision is to make the brand itself feel like a real person, to remind the community of the human being on the other end of the interaction. We want to build emotional connections with our community, to become a part of their lives, both in their homes and in their hearts. How does U D Ā K seek to highlight the more conventional aspects of Sri Lanka? U D Ā K celebrates the beauty of humanity. Being human essentially means having the ability to think rationally and to remain kind to other beings. We have built our lives around so many complex concepts that have taken away our humanity. Our lives revolve around money, consumerism, laws, values, and beauty. These concepts have created a mixed definition of being human.  At U D Ā K, we are moving away from traditional stereotypes by creating concepts that promote acceptance, kindness, and honesty. Humanity and compassion are simple ethics we can follow to create a better world for us and for future generations. PHOTOS © U D Ā K

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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