- Fashion designer Dimuthu Sahabandu’s latest collection targets size 14 and above
By Venessa Anthony
Sri Lanka’s leading fashion designer Dimuthu Sahabandu is a couture fashion designer and custom clothing creator. He has created some of the most iconic couture clothing and customised items under his eponymous brand. Dimuthu is renowned for creating cutting-edge designs by combining feminine, sexy, and unique colours with playful proportions. He has an exceptional eye for colour, structure, and design, which enables him to create breathtaking pictures.
Dimuthu combines high-end couture with humble fashion in the best way possible, creating brilliant pictures and intriguing silhouettes for the modern woman. He has something for everyone, from couture dresses and bridal gowns to ready-to-wear fashion. His runway pieces are more conceptual and fashion-forward, in addition to being bolder and more graphic in colour.
The Hadiqa Collection, Dimuthu’s latest line, was released recently. Hadiqa, or walled garden, showcases a line of hand-embellished, bridal lehengas, and silhouettes inspired by the concept of a secret garden, dazzling with a varied colour palette moving from soft to bold and clothes that cover both structured tailoring and fluid femininity, with soft drapes, luxurious textures, and structured silhouettes, tied together with fashion.
In conversation with The Morning Brunch, Dimuthu explained that the collection was designed to be deconstructed and worn as separate pieces, thus upgrading and prolonging the lifespan of these garments. Dimuthu has always had a fancy for anything related to the magical aspect of fantasy, and has gone on record several times alluding his inspiration for many collections to the same concept.
He has always dreamt of releasing a collection inspired by a secret garden, and took it upon himself to finally sit down and bring his thoughts to life.
“Hadiqa gave me the perfect opportunity to create something whimsical and almost fairytale-like,” he told us, adding that he wanted this collection to emphasise the idea of “garden” in every aspect from the silhouette, fabric, cut, colour, and surface embellishment.
The collection, created with a marriage of silk chiffons, silk georgette, Duchesse satin, and a variety of raw silks, is embellished with the brand’s signature metal embellishments along with pearls, sequins, cut beads, and bugles. Some of the pieces are also adorned with embroidery and appliqué, ensuring it stands out as an evening wear range. 
Dimuthu also noted that the pieces are to be purchased separately rather than an entire outfit, so that customers have the freedom to select pieces from the range, and mix and match them with other pieces they have in their wardrobes. Taking sustainability and the importance of slow fashion into consideration, Dimuthu emphasised that this makes way for their clients to restyle and rewear their looks in the future prolonging the life and use of their clothing.
Hadiqa is a dedicated plus-sized collection, which is a first for Dimuthu too. Oftentimes, plus-sized people are overlooked by designers and are left to scour the racks for a piece of clothing that fits and also looks good. This collection, catered to all that have spent their lives shunned because of their body type, allows them to adorn a piece and feel like royalty, all while embracing their femininity. He added that the styles are ideal for all formal occasions and even for brides who are having small intimate weddings and engagements.
Dimuthu dubbed this a mini-collection, since he’s taking this opportunity to learn more about this market and their needs. Most silhouettes in the line are size 14, while there are a few size 16 looks for them to get a better understanding of before they launch a proper size range in the future.
“I’ve always heard from the sales floor that there are many requests for our silhouettes to be made in sizes above 12, and I felt that as a brand we needed to be more inclusive when it comes to our retail size range,” he added, when talking about why he launched an exclusive size-based collection.
When asked when we can expect the next collection, Dimuthu revealed that he is currently working on it.
“I’m focusing on understanding the relevance of luxury fashion in today’s context, where many are finding it hard to even have an adequate amount of food,” he said, noting that there is a need for the definition of luxury fashion to evolve, and most designers are now attempting to imagine what luxury looks like in today’s context and how they can incorporate it into their brands. The future, he noted, is unpredictable, but added that he hopes good things are to come soon.