Chronicles of Fashion

What inspired your photo series?

I am a regular reader of Frankie Magazine, one of the coolest magazines in Australia. The magazine has design, art, photography, fashion, craft, home and life elements in cool colour pictures and art. I get inspiration from Frankie. There are many projects one can copy from Frankie and initiate.

What is your identity in these photos?

These are my work and casual attire; Now, I dress for myself in the clothes I prefer in colour combinations, mostly cotton clothing. I am in the twilight of my career and feel very comfortable in my clothes and being myself at work and home.

Do you have a narrative for each photograph?

Each photo was taken just before I left for work during the working week, before Covid-19.

Where did all the outfits and hats come from?

Most of them are from Muji, Uni-Qlo and Country Road. I get most of my hats from a store in Sri Lanka at 10% of the prices in Australia.

Any nostalgia?

Yes, my grandfather, as I recall, dressed very similar to my current attire; in white pants, coats and Khaki coloured hats. He passed away when I was five years old. But I do remember him vividly. Then there was my father, moderately fashionable and very neat. I had to iron all of his work clothes for the week every Sunday after my mum had washed them. I remember the crispness of his clothes and had to iron them neat and sharp. My yearning for the past, what I Sri Lanka as a young man, makes me reconnect with beautiful experiences. My memories of adults, personalities, and events, especially the warm childhood and carefree teenage years with a vast array of young friends from the liberating seventies.

How does your family influence what you do?

We are a deeply connected family that values heart-giving concepts and is not material driven. We are determined to leave this planet in a better place than we inherited. We owe that to our ancestors and our descendants. I am grateful that I have four fabulous kids, their four loving partners and three grandchildren destined to be torchbearers of these values.

Tell us about your clothing.

Clothing does not simply create our appearances. It gives us energy and makes us happy. I am fortunate, from an early age, that I learnt to be stylish without breaking the bank. I was most flamboyant in my teen and early twenties. Now I choose my clothes to reveal my age, but being in vogue is still foremost in my choices.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born on the beautiful island of Sri Lanka. The harmony simplicity. camaraderie and beauty of my home village Dalugama are integral to my personality. I had a Catholic education and studied accounting at University. When I turned 18, I started in the Telco industry as an apprentice. I jumped a leap of faith when I was 21, leaving Sri Lanka indefinitely for work in booming Dubai. While there, I switched careers from Telecoms to Technology in the Financial Services industry. In the early nineties, I left Dubai and migrated to Australia with my young family. In Sydney, in the last thirty years, I have been fortunate to be working in leading-edge technologies in digital. In my spare time, I am a budding writer, photographer, dreamer & and occasional artist. I am also a proud dad to four adult kids who are thriving as young Australians in startup tech, venture capital, people development, financial services, event management industries and charity foundations. I am also a doting grandfather to three grandchildren. This is my story about a lad from a Lankan village who embraced the pulse of Australian culture.

I am a servant leader and mentor to many young Australian professionals. I am passionate about climate change and education. Climate change is WW3, and our generation has to fight this war for future generations. Just like our forefathers’ sacrifices in WW1 and WW2 spared us from another world war. It is our turn and duty. Education, especially women’s education, is a game-changer. When a woman is educated, it changes generations to come. I am not interested in transactional charities.

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Images belong to the author.