Ruwanthi Gajadeera

Sustainable Fashion & Textile Designer

Ruwanthie is a designer who has passionately dedicated her career in perfecting heritage crafts to produce innovative and timeless textiles and garments. Whatever she designs, she always makes it a priority to ensure that our planet’s safe from it.

“While I was at UOM, I was fortunate enough to participate in a few workshops hosted by AOD. From my first workshop, the impression AOD left with me was great and the environment just clicked. I liked how people looked, how they spoke and how included I felt. When I joined AOD everything fell into place. I enjoyed my programme so much. It didn’t seem like I was studying, it was more like a hobby. By the time I graduated, I could visualise my journey ahead and I knew that the decision I made was the right one."

Education

Royal College of Arts - Master of Arts ( Fashion )
De Montfort University - Master of Arts ( Design Innovation )
Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London - Short Course, Fashion / Apparel Design
University of Bedfordshire - MSC in Sustainable Management, Sustainable Studies
Northumbria University - BA (Hons) Fashion & Textile Design
The Chartered Institute of Marketing - Post Graduate Diploma ( Certificate Level )

Ruwanthi is a pioneering South Asian fashion designer who made history by clinching the Taiwan Fashion Design Awards at the 2021 Taipei Fashion Week SS22. Her international accolades extend beyond this, with representations for Sri Lanka at prestigious events such as the Redress Design Awards 2021 in Hong Kong, the International Baltic Ethnic Fashion Festival 2021 in Saint Petersburg, and Graduate Fashion Week 2021 in London.

A loyal advocate for slow fashion, Ruwanthi's designs are a harmonious blend of heritage craftsmanship and innovative techniques. She embodies the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – throughout the entire garment lifecycle. By employing zero-waste, upcycling, and reconstruction methods, she creates adaptable and versatile pieces that minimise environmental impact.

Ruwanthi's commitment to circular fashion extends beyond design. Her work is a testament to the belief that each garment can contribute to a sustainable future.

Honours and Awards

Finalist - Redress Design Awards 2022 - Issued by Redress Asia
Second Runner-up at Sakura Collection Fashion Design Awards - Issued by Adventure Japan
Fashion Design Newcomer Award - Taiwan Fashion Design Awards - Issued by Taiwan Textile Federation & Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Republic of China.
First Prize - IBEFF Online - Issued by International Baltic Ethnic Fashion Festival
First Runner-Up - International Catwalk Award - Issued by Graduate Fashion Foundation
Semi-finalist - Redress Design Awards 2021 - Issued by Redress Limited
Silver Winner Textile and Materials - Handmade 2020 - Issued by International Design Awards • Farmani Group
Green Concept Award 2021 - Preselected - Issued by White Lobster GmbH & Co. KG
NU Student Scholarship for the Academic Year 2019 - Issued by AOD and Northumbria University Newcastle
Shilanthi Abayagunawardana Textile Design Scholarship - Issued by Design For Sustainable Development Foundation