Friday Sari Project Announces Winners of the FSP Craft Futures Sri Lanka Award
Rice & Carry studio Komari on the east coast of Sri Lanka - women sorting old fishing nets to be recycled and woven into fishing net products.
Friday Sari Project is pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural FSP Craft Futures Sri Lanka Award, presented as part of its programme for London Craft Week. Launched to support and platform contemporary designers from Sri Lanka, the award recognises practices working at the intersection of craft, sustainability, and design innovation. The selected designers will be showcased within Friday Sari Project’s curated presentation in London, offering international visibility and a platform for dialogue around material culture and contemporary craft. The winners have been selected by FSP founder Mehala Ford in collaboration with journalist and Deputy Editor of Hi! Magazine, Tina Gunewardhana, bringing together a shared perspective on the evolving landscape of Sri Lankan design.
Award Recipients
Craft Practice Award: Studio Dimitra
Awarded to an established practice demonstrating sustained and thoughtful engagement with craftsmanship and contemporary design, Studio Dimitra places hand embroidery at the core of its work. Contemporary silhouettes are enhanced through intricate embroidery placements or fully embroidered garments, each requiring hours of skilled handwork.
Each embroidered element carries the unique signature of the artisan, reflecting a deep respect for process and craft. Designer Dimitra Sahabandu has developed a distinctive and modern visual language for hand embroidery, elevating this traditional practice into a refined contemporary expression.
Emerging Craft Voice Award: SHAVI
Recognising originality and a strong emerging perspective, Shavi Wijesooriya represents a new generation of designers shaping the future of Sri Lankan craft. Her work signals a distinctive voice grounded in experimentation and contemporary expression.
A graduate of AOD Academy of Design (2022), she has presented her collections at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and Colombo Fashion Week. Her practice focuses on reusing and repurposing mass-market and excess materials, transforming them into new forms. Central to the brand is the integration of Sri Lankan batik, balanced with modern silhouettes and handcrafted details that celebrate local craftsmanship.
This year, the Purpose-Led Design Award is presented to two designers whose work centres sustainability and responsible production.
Purpose-Led Design Award:
Alke
Alke is a jewellery brand working with recycled materials, designed and crafted by artisans who are paid fair wages and recognised for their work. Designer Sara Nazoor also leads ALKE’s community outreach initiative, Wearing Emotions, which empowers communities to manage waste sustainably.
Her wider work includes mentoring young women in jewellery design and production through Emerge Global, as well as participation in international exhibitions and competitions. Through both design and community engagement, Alke demonstrates how craft can operate as a tool for social and environmental impact.
Purpose-Led Design Award:
Rice & Carry is a social enterprise rooted in creative upcycling, transforming discarded materials such as rice sacks, jute spice bags, used saris, and fishing ropes into functional, high-quality accessories. Their design philosophy embraces slow fashion, allowing the original graphics and durability of materials to inform each product’s aesthetic.
At the heart of the organisation is an all-female workshop of 25 artisans based in Komari on the east coast of Sri Lanka. Here, materials are cleaned, prepared, and reimagined by a skilled team of seamstresses and weavers. The initiative also supports flexible, home-based work, creating opportunities for women to generate sustainable income.
About the Award
The Craft Futures Sri Lanka Award was created to support designers who are redefining contemporary craft in Sri Lanka while remaining rooted in the country’s rich traditions of making.
All award recipients will participate in the Friday Sari Project showcase during London Craft Week, presenting capsule collections within a curated retail and exhibition environment. The programme brings together exhibitions, talks, and presentations, creating a platform for cultural exchange and new narratives in craft and design.
Studio Dimitra using heritage craft techniques of lace weaving and hand embroidery.
About Friday Sari Project
Friday Sari Project is a concept store and showroom-the first of its kind in the UK-founded in 2018 and dedicated to promoting contemporary fashion and craft from India and Sri Lanka.
Through curated exhibitions, events, and collaborations, it creates platforms for designers whose work bridges heritage and contemporary design thinking. The project connects these practices to wider global audiences, fostering greater awareness, engagement, and appreciation of South Asian craft and design.
To find out more about FSP Craft Futures Sri Lanka email: fridaysariproject@gmail.com