The Grand Marquee at Taj Samudra Colombo came alive with creativity, innovation, and glamour as the grand finale of the ChoKoLAATe Mother-Daughter Fashion Designer (MDFD) 2026 competition concluded in spectacular style. Showcasing the remarkable talents of Sri Lanka’s next generation of fashion designers, the prestigious event once again cemented its position as one of the country’s leading platforms for nurturing emerging creative talent.
Established by Michelle Gunesekara, Managing Director of ChoKoLAATe Magazine, the Mother-Daughter Fashion Designer competition has spent the past 16 years discovering and developing aspiring designers by providing them with a platform to showcase their creativity, refine their skills, and gain valuable industry exposure. Celebrating the unique bond between mothers and daughters, the competition requires contestants to create coordinated collections across casual wear, sportswear, and evening wear, all presented by real-life mother-daughter pairs.
After months of portfolio assessments, workshops, mentoring sessions, and preliminary judging rounds, this year’s finalists unveiled collections that reflected exceptional creativity, technical expertise, and artistic excellence. Each designer presented a distinctive interpretation of contemporary fashion, highlighting the depth of talent within Sri Lanka’s growing fashion industry.
The evening’s top honour was awarded to Niki Vagail, who was crowned the ChoKoLAATe Mother-Daughter Fashion Designer 2026. Her outstanding collection, recognised for its originality, impeccable craftsmanship, and refined design aesthetic, earned widespread praise from the judging panel and secured her the coveted title.
Ashen Rishmal was named First Runner-Up, while Lavanya Dissanayake claimed the title of Second Runner-Up. Both designers impressed the judges with innovative collections that combined strong storytelling with contemporary fashion sensibilities.
Excellence across individual design categories was also celebrated during the evening. Ashen Rishmal received the award for Best Casual Wear Collection, while Dulini Withanage was recognised for the Best Sportswear Collection. Lavanya Dissanayake further showcased her versatility by winning the Best Evening Wear Collection, adding another prestigious accolade to her achievements.
Lavanya Dissanayake also received the highly sought-after Shantanu & Nikhil Scholarship, opening the door to valuable international learning and industry exposure. Meanwhile, overall winner Niki Vagail was awarded the prestigious Charini Internship, providing an exceptional opportunity to gain professional experience and mentorship from one of the industry's leading fashion houses.
The ChoKoLAATe Mother-Daughter Fashion Designer competition continues to inspire and empower Sri Lanka’s emerging designers, offering a prestigious platform where creativity, innovation, and talent are celebrated while shaping the future of the country’s fashion industry.
Ogilvy Sends Largest-Ever Sri Lankan Team to Global Creative Competition
Eight of Sri Lanka’s brightest young creative professionals will represent the country at the prestigious Young Lions Competition in Cannes, France, on June 22, with six of them hailing from Ogilvy Group Sri Lanka. The agency’s strong representation marks the largest contingent ever fielded by a single Sri Lankan agency for the internationally acclaimed competition.
Widely recognised as one of the world’s most prestigious platforms for creative professionals under the age of 30, the Young Lions Competition brings together national winners from across the globe to compete in the PR, Media, Digital, Film, Print, and Design categories. The competition provides an opportunity for emerging talent to test their creativity, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills against some of the industry's best young minds.
Representing Sri Lanka this year is a diverse team of creatives across multiple disciplines. Sachintha Gunawardena and Hasith Dilakshana will compete in the Media category, while Azraa Saldin and Nirmala Premachandra will represent the nation in PR. Afridi Hussain and Maveena Manickam will contest the Film category, having secured their places by winning their respective divisions at the Young Lions Sri Lanka Competition held in April.
The competition challenges participants with a real-world brief from a non-profit or purpose-driven organisation, typically centred on an urgent social or environmental issue. Teams have just 24 hours to conceptualise and develop a comprehensive campaign that addresses the brief with creativity, strategic insight, and impact.
Media teams are tasked with creating an insight-driven communications strategy that demonstrates the effective use of media channels to drive engagement. PR participants must develop a compelling campaign idea and narrative capable of influencing public perception and inspiring action, while Film teams are required to produce an original 60-second film within the same demanding timeframe.
Throughout the competition, participants work from the dedicated Young Lions Competition Hub at the Cannes Lions School—an environment designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and creative excellence. Their completed campaigns are then evaluated by the Young Lions Jury, comprising senior creative leaders from some of the world's leading agencies and organisations.
Held alongside the globally renowned Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the Young Lions Competition offers participants unparalleled exposure to the very best in creative communications. Surrounded by award-winning campaigns, industry pioneers, and world-class thought leadership, Sri Lanka's young creatives will have the opportunity to showcase their talent on one of the industry's biggest international stages.
ChoKoLAATe Mother-Daughter Fashion Designer 2026 Celebrates the Next Generation of Sri Lankan Fashion Talent
