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Tracy
Tracy
Sep 03 2026
22CFW Couture + Trousseau, presented by Nations Trust Bank, returns 17 to 19 September, conceived this season through the lens of Art as "Living Sculpture." The presentation, conceptualised by CFW, explores the depth of couture through a curated selection of Sri Lankan and South Asian designers, hosted at specially curated venues at the City of Dreams Sri Lanka.
Now in its 23rd year, Colombo Fashion Week continues to build on its founding vision: positioning Sri Lanka as a regional hub for fashion and establishing Colombo as a meeting point for South Asia's design talent. Since 2003, CFW has been the region's consistent platform for designers from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, building a South Asian story of cultural exchange and market opportunity that few other platforms in the subcontinent can claim.
That regional and international outlook extends into this edition through CFW's continued partnership with the BRICS International Fashion Federation, with a designer from China joining the Couture + Trousseau runway. The collaboration reflects CFW's ongoing role in connecting Sri Lankan and South Asian fashion to wider global markets and design conversations.
Ajai Vir Singh, Founder & Managing Director, Colombo Fashion Week, stated: "For 23 years, Colombo Fashion Week has revived, defined and created the fashion ecosystem that we see today. During this time, it also created a seat of interaction for South Asian designers. We introduced a concept of Swim Week in South Asia in a hybrid presentation format. This season we introduce Couture for designers to grow into, the way pret did before it. We are presenting Couture with the theme of ‘Living Sculpture’ at a unique curated space at City of Dreams.”
This season's designer lineup is built around couture craftsmanship, with each collection developed for the bridal and trousseau segment. The focus reflects CFW's broader strategy of positioning Sri Lankan designers within South Asia's growing bridal and destination wedding market. Running alongside the runway presentations, the Wedding Tourism Summit brings together voices from fashion, hospitality and tourism to explore Sri Lanka's positioning as a destination wedding market.
Niluka Gunatilake, Senior Vice President, Cards & Consumer Assets Nations Trust Bank, stated: "Nations Trust Bank is proud to present Couture + Trousseau. Bridal and destination weddings represent one of the fastest growing segments for Sri Lankan and South Asian design, and this platform gives our designers a direct route into that market. Supporting Colombo Fashion Week means supporting an industry that creates real economic opportunity, from the ateliers to the wider hospitality and tourism sectors it touches. We look forward to seeing that translate into 'Living Sculpture' this September."
CFW Couture + Trousseau will also introduce Couture Cuisine, a collaboration bringing fashion and food together as a single experience for guests across the three days.
Kamal Munasinghe, Senior Vice President, Colombo Hotels, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and General Manager, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka, stated: "CFW Couture + Trousseau is not just a runway show at City of Dreams, it's an experience that extends across the property, from the venues our guests move through to the moments in between the shows. As a destination, City of Dreams is designed to hold exactly this kind of experience: fashion, food and hospitality working as one story rather than separate events. That is what we are building towards with CFW this September."
CFW Couture + Trousseau 2026 is presented by Nations Trust Bank along with Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams as venue partner, along with Lanka Walltiles, Vision Care, Hameedia and Ramani Fernando. CFW is further supported by its partners Acorn, Pulse, News First, Ceylon Today, Emerging Media and Hard Talk. CFW continues to be the backbone of Sri Lanka’s fashion design industry, its only voice, while creating a fashion ecosystem along with it’s partners.
