Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka 2025: Defining the South Asian voice in global fashion

Presented under banner of Sri Lanka Design Festival, powered by AOD, where intelligent luxury meets regional creativity

As global fashion evolves toward a more conscious, culturally grounded, and innovation-driven future, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka (MBFWSL) 2025 returns under the Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) banner, continuing a journey that connects Sri Lanka’s creative talent to the region and the world.

Two and a half decades ago, when Sri Lanka’s design story was still unwritten, AOD began shaping a creative movement that would transform the island’s future. What started as an experiment in design education has today evolved into a powerful force driving innovation across industries and at the heart of this evolution stands the SLDF, now in its 16th edition.

AOD and SLDF Founder Linda Speldewinde said: “Over the years, AOD has brought education, industry, and global design perspectives into one shared journey. Our next chapter continues to build on that foundation, strengthening regional collaborations and shaping a South Asian aesthetic that the world will come to recognise. It’s about celebrating individual heritage while creating together, ‘Designed with Sri Lanka.’”

A platform for new luxury and regional expression

MBFWSL 2025 explores the evolving notion of intelligent luxury, where craftsmanship, technology, and sustainability coexist. It is a celebration of design with purpose, showcasing how creativity from Sri Lanka and the region can set new benchmarks for contemporary fashion grounded in authenticity and innovation.

The event has previously launched Sri Lankan talent like Amesh Wijesekera onto global runways, including Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, establishing MBFWSL as a gateway between South Asian creativity and the international fashion stage.

“Fashion is no longer about seasonal trends, it’s about purpose, process, and perspective, it’s about ideas that endure,” adds Linda. “Through MBFWSL, we’re presenting fashion that reflects intelligence, responsibility, and cultural depth, values that define our creative future.”

A legacy of design and innovation

Since 2009, Sri Lanka Design Festival (www.srilankadesignfestival.lk) has been a space where design meets industry, innovation, and sustainability, bringing together designers, manufacturers, academics, and creative thinkers from across the world. With Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka as its flagship event, SLDF continues to shape conversations around creativity, resilience, and regional collaboration.

As it moves into its next phase, SLDF 2025 deepens this regional focus building on AOD’s ongoing efforts to position Sri Lanka as a creative hub within South Asia and contributing to a shared aesthetic with global resonance.

Established in 2001, AOD (www.aod.lk) pioneered design education in Sri Lanka and introduced the concept of the creative industries in partnership with the British Council. Today, AOD continues to bridge education, industry, and innovation, nurturing the next generation of designers and creative entrepreneurs, and positioning Sri Lanka as a dynamic contributor to the regional and global creative landscape.