By Dimithri Wijesinghe
It would seem that the founding members of Kynd Fashion, Chief Visionary Saranga Dissanayake and Chief Designer Vihanga Wijesooriya, have struck gold with their novel concept – “Kynd Fashion Truck”. First launched at the end of last year, the Kynd Fashion Truck will have its next pop-up on 2 and 3 October at One Galle Face (near the Coffee bean).
Speaking to the founders about their business, they shared that when they first launched their venture online in September 2017, what they did was start with the very simple idea of a designer homegrown fashion brand, setting up a Facebook page and an Instagram business account. Complete with their unique eco-friendly packaging with home and office delivery, they made it possible to reach their customers.
About what the Kynd clothing brand has to offer, they shared that patrons can find modern bohemian fashion and lifestyle pieces inspired and created by the founders themselves, with each piece exclusively designed by Vihanga and thought of as an extension of herself.
“With each piece designed by her, the feminine yet modern style of our brand is curated with trend, comfort, and classic design in mind. At Kynd, we strive to continuously provide the most current and modern trends in fashion and lifestyle.”
They shared that the success of the online clothing store allowed them to expand the business into what it is known today as “Sri Lanka’s first fashion truck” (Kynd Fashion Truck ) and Kynd online store (www.kynd.lk).
The fashion truck concept
We spoke to the duo about the concept of the fashion truck. They shared that initially they were very much aware of the changing nature of the landscape of retail and so they wished to go about things a little differently.
They stated that people were shopping online more than ever; however, when it came to newer brands, shoppers are, understandably, hesitant to shop online. “Let’s be honest – some people still don’t like online shopping because they don’t have a proper idea of the suitable sizes and the quality of the product,” they added, which led them to think about a new way to promote their homegrown brand.
“Most women asked to try the product before buying at least the first time in order to get an idea about the sizes and the quality. But it’s not possible to offer a try-on before buying without having a physical store. It was a challenge for both of us. That is where 
Sri Lanka’s first fashion truck was born. The movable model cooks up the perfect storm for customers who appreciate the idea of see now, buy now,” they said, also sharing that the fashion truck concept appeared to them to be the best solution they were able to identify as suitable for a start-up for young entrepreneurs such as themselves.
They said the idea was most appealling for a number of reasons, with one being that the cost of the initial investment is very low compared to a traditional retail store. Another major reason was that it allows for their customers to experience the collection and the quality of the products and either purchase then and there or order online and get it delivered to their doorstep. The brand offers islandwide free delivery too.
“Having a fashion truck is almost like we are having islandwide fashion stores; we can move our physical fashion store around the country with all the facilities – air conditioner, fiton room, POS, etc., reaching customers where they are.”
