AOD Bags Another Win at Graduate Fashion Week, Reestablishing Its Position on International Fashion Platforms
Sasandi De Silva Follows the Path of Success Paved by AOD, Becoming the Silver Winner of the International Award at Graduate Fashion Week London 2024
Congratulations to Sasandi De Silva for winning the Silver Award at the Graduate Fashion Week International Awards 2024 in London! Sasandi, a sustainable fashion designer, envisions integrating heritage crafts and sustainability, showcasing art through fashion to highlight the work of Sri Lankan artisans. She aims for sustainability without harming the environment and promotes slow fashion. Sasandi, a proud alumna of AOD’s BA (Hons) Fashion and Textile Design programme offered by Northumbria University, UK, graduated with First Class Honours in 2023.
London Graduate Fashion Week is the world’s largest and most prestigious event for fashion graduates, drawing participation from schools globally. AOD has consistently won awards, outperforming institutions from established fashion capitals like Milan and Paris. This success positions Colombo as an emerging hub for fashion education in Asia, as evidenced by the international accolades AOD students consistently earn. As the world shifts towards sustainability, AOD capitalises on its distinctive design ecosystem and Sri Lanka’s rich crafts and heritage designs. This approach provides students with the opportunity to engage with sustainable design practices and gain firsthand experience working with local artisans. This unique ecosystem enriches their design education, offering an unmatched learning experience that broadens their creative skills and perspectives.
This annual event attracts top industry professionals, press, and recruiters from around the globe, all eager to discover new talent. Over the years, this prestigious event has consistently served as a launchpad for AOD students to gain recognition in international fashion forums and start their global careers. This tradition began with Amesh Wijesekera, who won the International Award at Graduate Fashion Week in London and launched his international career. Following him, Ruwanthie Gajadeera was the first runner-up for the International Catwalk Award, and Nawoda Bandara won the International Portfolio Award at Graduate Fashion Week in Dubai. Now, Sasandi De Silva continues this legacy with her Silver Award in the International category at Graduate Fashion Week 2024 in London.
Linda Speldewinde, Founder of AOD, shares her thoughts on this achievement: “Our participation in Graduate Fashion Week London was a strategic move I initiated to create unparalleled opportunities for our students. It’s gratifying to see our students consistently excel and make a mark on international platforms, reaffirming AOD’s status as a premier institution for fashion education.”
AODs role in building the Creative Industries of Sri Lanka is very much benchmarked on the UK’s successful creative industries which AOD founder Linda Speldewinde had access to via winning the British Council Creative Entrepreneur award in 2009. The UK’s creative industry grows faster than many other sectors and is a major contributor to its economy. Sustainability, a key focus of the UK fashion industry, is also central to AOD’s ethos, facilitating the correct mindset for our students to create internationally recognised work and contribute to Sri Lanka’s economy.
The continuous wins at Graduate Fashion Week reaffirm AOD’s position on the international fashion stage, demonstrating that AOD Sri Lanka rivals any top fashion school worldwide including established fashion capitals such as Milan and Paris.
By providing exceptional opportunities and maintaining a distinguished reputation, AOD offers internationally recognised design education from Sri Lanka, eliminating the need for Sri Lankan students to seek fashion education abroad. This prestige is further validated as international students also choose AOD for its superior fashion education. Fashion, design, and creativity evolve daily. Pursuing these fields at AOD ensures you gain up-to-date knowledge and remain relevant on the international stage. AOD’s commitment to its tagline “create, design, innovate” is evident in the numerous international awards its students win.
To learn more about design and creative education and careers post O/Ls and A/Ls visit our Open House on June 29, 2024, at AOD. For more information, contact AOD at 0775727772, email info@aod.lk, or visit us between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday, at the Colombo Innovation Tower, No 477, R A De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 04. Visit our website at www.aod.lk.