CCWE Fashion Week 2026 moved a step closer to becoming a landmark event for Sri Lanka’s fashion and entrepreneurial sectors as more than 200 aspiring models and over 50 designers participated in the official Model & Designer Open Call held in Colombo.
CCWE Fashion Week 2026 auditions attract emerging fashion talent
Organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs, the auditions took place at City of Dreams CMB and marked a significant milestone toward launching Sri Lanka’s first fashion week dedicated exclusively to women entrepreneurs.
The event attracted a large number of fresh faces seeking entry into the fashion industry alongside established and emerging designers eager to secure a place on the runway for the upcoming showcase scheduled for July 2026.
Industry professionals and fashion experts were invited to evaluate participants through two separate judging panels. The Designer Panel included Samudrika Wijayapala, Kanchana Perera, Jagjit Silva, Kalum Udawaththa, Roshan Peris and Nilushi Pawanya.
The Model Panel featured Dannielle Kerkoven Fernando, Sanjeewani Embuldeniya, Dineth De Silva, Manoji Wadugodapitiya, Kamil Hewavitharana and Svitlana Melnyk. Celebrated choreographer Gihan Dassanayake, who will oversee runway choreography during the main event, also attended the auditions.
Speaking at the event, Ayanthi Gurusinghe described the open call as an opportunity for women across Sri Lanka to transform their ambitions into meaningful opportunities within the fashion and creative industries.
She noted that the strong response from participants reflected the depth of untapped talent available across the country and reinforced the importance of creating inclusive platforms capable of supporting emerging entrepreneurs and creative professionals.
Scheduled to take place from 16 to 19 July 2026 at Cinnamon Life, CCWE Fashion Week 2026 will be held under the theme “Threads of Inclusion – Woven from Every Walk of Life.”
Organisers stated that the event aims to bring together designers, artisans, small and medium-sized enterprises, policymakers and investors to strengthen collaboration and create new commercial opportunities for women-led businesses.
Industry observers believe the initiative could contribute significantly to the Sri Lanka fashion industry by creating stronger visibility for local designers while supporting market access and professional development opportunities for emerging talent.
The summit also seeks to position fashion as a broader platform for economic empowerment and entrepreneurship. Analysts note that Women entrepreneurs Sri Lanka initiatives continue to gain increasing recognition as organisations and businesses focus more strongly on diversity, inclusion and female-led economic participation.
The United Nations ESCAP-SSWA has joined the initiative as Knowledge Partner. Head and Director Mikiko Tanaka stated that the partnership reflects a shared commitment to improving access to finance, digital connectivity and international markets for women entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, Hatton National Bank serves as the Title Sponsor for the event, signalling growing corporate support for initiatives focused on entrepreneurship, creative industries and inclusive economic development.
With the auditions now completed, organisers are expected to move into the next stage of preparations ahead of what is anticipated to become one of Sri Lanka’s largest fashion and women entrepreneurship platforms.