The International Young Fashion Entrepreneur (IYFE) 2010 award is a British Council initiative in partnership with Sri Lanka Telecom that seeks to champion and celebrate the importance of creative entrepreneurs in the 25 to 35 age category working in the field of fashion.

Applicants were drawn from various areas of the fashion field including- fashion textile, accessories production and design, fashion promotion, fashion education, fashion marketing, fashion publishing etc. recognizing that an applicant may strongly influence the business of fashion without being a practicing fashion designer. Excellent English language skills were a pre-requisite for this award. 

Out of the eleven applications received, the short-listing panel comprising Sahran Abeysundara (interior decorator and events manager), Ajith Dias (specialist in textile and clothing and a Fellow of the Textile Institute, UK), Carmel Kelly (Principal Lecturer and International Project Coordinator London College of Fashion), Ranmali Mirchandani (Manager Programme Delivery - British Council), Adam Pushkin, Regional Head of Arts, British Council ISL, Dilani Wijesekera (Director/Designer Dilly’s) shortlisted 5 candidates based mainly on their written applications supported by additional evidence of their entrepreneurial skill and ability.

 

The shortlisted candidates were – 

Anjuli Flamer-Caldera – Director Bubble Events Pvt. Ltd (Fashion Lifestyles Events organiser) 

Terrin Gabbalage – Managing Director/Designer, Wedding Dreams

Chathuri Samaraweera – Managing Director, Anaya International Pvt Ltd 

Fahad Sheriff – Director, MF Retail Ltd

Govinda Tidball – Director Sarakeil Pvt Ltd & CEO Community Concern Society

For the final interview, the shortlisted candidates were given an opportunity to make a short presentation expanding on their written application and addressing questions related to market awareness, vision and ambition and their desire to develop mutually beneficial engagement with the UK. 

The final judging panel comprised Gill Westaway (Country Director British Council Sri Lanka), Kumar Mirchandani (Chairman, Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association), Tom Bewick (Chief Executive, Creative & Cultural Skills UK) and Anoma Wijewardena (artist and designer).

Chathuri Samaraweera, Managing Director, Anaya International Pvt Ltd, was chosen by the judging panel as the winner of the International Young Fashion Entrepreneur (IYFE) 2010 award and it was announced at the launch of the Sri Lanka Design Festival on 27 November 2009 at the Mt. Lavinia Hotel. 

Chathuri as the National Winner, will compete alongside 8 other winners from around the world for the title of

International Young Fashion Entrepreneur (IYFE) 2010 award to be held in London in February 2010. 

The Centre for Creative Enterprise is the project partner for the award and the electronic media sponsors are Channel 1 MTV and YES FM and our print media sponsors are Daily Mirror and Sunday Times.