By Lakmal Gajabahu, Fashion Critic
There is a particular courage required to make fashion more than clothing — to make it a narrative, a provocation, even a cultural archive. Venuka Wickramaarachchi, one of Sri Lanka’s most versatile fashion and costume designers, has been quietly building such a narrative for more than fifteen years. With collections that have crossed stages in London, Milan, and Kazakhstan, alongside award-winning work for cinema and pageantry, he is carving out a voice that is both unmistakably Sri Lankan and unflinchingly global.
London: Tradition Meets Technology
At London Graduate Fashion Week, Wickramaarachchi’s “Transcend Through Historic Elegance” demonstrated a rare duality: garments rooted in Sri Lanka’s cultural memory, yet sculpted through modern 3D techniques. The collection felt like a dialogue between past and future — as though Kandyan motifs had been reimagined by a digital artisan. The architectural silhouettes invited comparisons with Iris van Herpen’s experiments in technology-driven couture, but with a warmth of storytelling that remained uniquely his own.
Milan: Fashion as Protest
In Milan, at the AQUA Fashion Show hosted by Ferrari Fashion School, his focus shifted to the environment. Rising sea levels — a looming threat for island nations like Sri Lanka — became both theme and metaphor. Flowing fabrics suggested fragility, while structured lines hinted at resilience. The collection was less about beauty in the conventional sense, and more about urgency. Like Stella McCartney’s sustainable campaigns, Wickramaarachchi’s Milan showcase reminded audiences that fashion can be both aesthetic and activist.
Kazakhstan: A Living Timeline
Perhaps his most audacious work came in Kazakhstan’s Aspara Fashion Festival, where he presented 23 national costumes narrating Sri Lanka’s history. Here was spectacle, yes, but also scholarship. Each design became a chapter: from the grandeur of ancient kingdoms to the influences of colonial trade. At times the scale tipped toward theatrical pageantry — inevitable when one attempts to condense centuries into garments — but the overall impression was profound. Wickramaarachchi had transformed the runway into a moving museum, a feat rarely attempted and even more rarely achieved.
Cinema and the Art of Authenticity
Parallel to his runway work, Wickramaarachchi’s reputation as a costume designer has been cemented in Sri Lankan cinema. Films such as Kusa Paba, Paththini, and Vijayaba Kollaya bear his signature — meticulous research, historical accuracy, and visual grandeur. His accolades, including the Lux Film Award for Best Costume Designer and the Presidential Special Jury Award, are not mere decorations; they signal an artist trusted to shape national stories through fabric. Like the great Eiko Ishioka, whose cinematic costumes became part of visual history, Wickramaarachchi approaches costume not as accessory, but as narrative itself.
Cultural Diplomacy Through Pageantry
The designer’s role as cultural ambassador is most evident in his pageant costumes, worn on global stages by Sri Lankan representatives at Miss International, Miss World Sri Lanka, Mrs. Sri Lanka World, and Mister Global. These are not gowns designed for fleeting applause; they are symbols. Rich in motifs, dramatic in execution, they assert Sri Lanka’s place in a fashion conversation often dominated by Western aesthetics. In this, Wickramaarachchi echoes designers like Guo Pei — transforming cultural pride into haute spectacle.
Diamaté and the Future
With the launch of Diamaté by Venuka in 2024, he entered a new phase. The brand, initially online, reflects his philosophy of versatility, sustainability, and global relevance. The Clásico line, crafted entirely from natural fabrics, demonstrated a willingness to challenge the dominance of synthetics in fast fashion. Plans for a flagship boutique in Sri Lanka, alongside global expansion, suggest ambition matched by infrastructure. Importantly, Diamaté also doubles as a training ground, with Wickramaarachchi mentoring younger designers — a reminder that cultural leadership is not just about personal success, but about legacy.
Forward Momentum
The horizon looks busy. Another film featuring his costumes will release at the end of this year, with a second already in preparation. More national costumes are being developed for global pageants. Diamaté is preparing for its international debut, while sustainability remains central to his mission. Each project reinforces his role not just as a designer, but as a strategist for Sri Lanka’s cultural identity in the global fashion ecosystem.
Venuka Wickramaarachchi’s work cannot be reduced to a single discipline. He is at once a couturier, a costume historian, a sustainability advocate, and a cultural diplomat. His designs may occasionally veer toward theatrical excess, but therein lies their strength: they refuse invisibility. In an industry often preoccupied with the disposable, Wickramaarachchi offers permanence — garments that tell stories, garments that remember, garments that matter.