Native Designer

He brought pizzazz to the Sri Lankan sarong – not to mention a modicum of practicality with a pocket on the side for wallets, phones and keys. Asanka De Mel is the man behind LOVI, a Sri Lankan brand now traversing the globe in all its splendour.

LOVI sarongs, shirts, shoes and scarves are seen adorning Parisian ramps, as well as Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) catwalks, posing for selfies at touristy landmarks, hurrying on a London street, relaxing on a California beach, giving bridegrooms some extra oomph and becoming a page-turner in the fashion glossies.

Asanka is functionally a techie. Having armed himself with degrees in technology and public policy, he worked for years in Silicon Valley before heeding that reverberating call to return home.

But he didn’t come home empty-handed…

He’s always been fascinated with the demonstration of skill and together with his love for well-made timeless clothing, De Mel embraced the idea of developing a Sri Lankan brand on the premise that his fellow islanders deserve to wear world-class clothes.

But Asanka pushed that up a notch when he yearned for clothing that would express national identity and articulate the unity of this country – and this saw him plunge headfirst into the design studio to live his dream.

Married to Marguerite and enjoying being a dad to their two-year-old son Leo, Asanka is a people person and there’s nothing he likes better than seeing folks enjoying themselves. As CEO and Chief Designer for LOVI, De Mel’s days may be long or short but his work ethic is about working hard.

Certainly, it’s not easy running a design studio, adding on accessories to heritage pieces and managing three retail stores. In spite of all this work, he still manages to find time to be rowdy and do ‘guy things’ with Leo, while adding lots of cuddles and kisses in-between.

No doubt Marguerite’s biggest worry is keeping her boys from being too rowdy!

“Innovate what we wear,
go easier on the planet and
add happiness to our day”

quick-fire round

Linen or silk
Silk

Black or white
Black

Sarong or pants
Sarong – of course

Loafers or sneakers
Loafers

Batik or embroidery
Embroidery

Watch or bracelet
Watch

Blonde or brunette
Blonde – married to one

Phone or tab
Phone

FB or Instagram
Instagram

Book or magazine
Book

Road or rail
Road

Ocean or space
Space

Beach or mountain
Both

Puppies or kittens
Puppies

Smoothie or juice
Juice

Rum or vodka
Vodka

White or red wine
Depends

Chocolate or cheese
Chocolate

Jazz or rock
Jazz

Ballet or opera
Ballet

Karaoke or dance club
Dance club

Theatre or TV
Theatre

Then or now
Now… right now

ABOUT

ASANKA

BIRTHDAY
6 May

FAMILY
Wife (Marguerite)
Son (Leo Daham)

ALMA MATERS
St. Peter’s College
Harvard University

HOBBIES
Reading
Running
Visiting museums and planetariums

LOVES
Family
LOVI
Service

PET PEEVES
Stinky garbage bins

ADMIRES
The teams at Dilmah, Spa Ceylon and Ministry of Crab

ROLE MODELS
Bill Gates
Mahatma Gandhi
Tory Burch

ASANKA’S

FAVOURITES

BRANDS
Hermès
Cartier
Apple

DESIGNERS (LOCAL)
All my designer friends at Colombo Fashion Week (CFW)

DESIGNERS (GLOBAL)
Tom Ford
Brunello Cucinelli
Dior

RETAIL CHAINS
One Galle Face
The Design Collective and PR – for showcasing local designers

SPORTSMEN
Tiger Woods
Roger Federer
Michael Phelps

SPORTSWOMEN
Serena Williams
Simone Biles
Misty Copeland

ENTERTAINERS
Jerry Seinfeld
Tom Cruise
Lady Gaga

CUISINE
Californian
Tex-Mex
Japanese

RESTAURANTS
Asylum Restaurant & Lounge Bar
Café Français
Capital Bar & Grill

LOCAL HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS
Nuwara Eliya
Unawatuna
Negombo

OVERSEAS HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Washington D.C.

GLOBAL INFLUENCERS
Lady Gaga
Tom Ford
Jessica Alba

YOUNG LEADERS
Kumar Sangakkara
Mahela Jayawardene
Bathiya Jayakody
Santhush Weeraman
Aritha Wickramasinghe

ENTREPRENEURS
Marc Benioff
Jo Malone
Ralph Lauren

Q: What spurred the career move from tech to designing sarongs?
A: I’m so lucky to be doing what I love. I think the ultimate mission of tech, as well as fashion, is to make life better. Innovate what we wear, go easier on the planet and add happiness to our day.

Q: Why the name ‘LOVI’?
A: My wife was studying fruit vocabulary in Sinhala while I was thinking of names for the new brand. There was my childhood nostalgia for achcharu plus lovi, which sounds like ‘love.’ What’s better than that?

Q: Why did you expand your range from your signature sarong?
A: LOVI is about all kinds of sarongs; its versatility covers various occasions from the beach to a wedding, and to the office and the red carpet. Realising that there was a shortage of items to complete the look, we added shirts, shoes, scarves, jackets and accessories.

Q: What’s been your ‘aha’ moment?
A: Coming back home to understand fully that Sri Lankans are yearning for a new identity – one that is ambitious and optimistic… and yet, rooted in and respectful of our values. I also realised how much Sri Lankans are eager to share their heritage with the world.

Q: And your biggest thrill is when…
A: The moment someone beams as they try on LOVI.

Q: Tell us about your ideal workday…
A: An ideal day begins with a run, then into the studio with the team, visit the stores and meet clients later, dinner with family and friends.

Q: And what’s the weekend like?
A: A little more time with my son Leo and wife Marguerite. Mostly being rowdy, going on walks and playing with him. And with her, it’s watching movies, reading and reimagining the world.

Q: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be and why?
A: I would love to be a triathlete because it would be incredible to be in that kind of physical shape.

Q: How has life been since the birth of Leo?
A: I feel so blessed. He’s so much fun and it’s difficult for me to leave the house because I want to play with him. I have newfound respect for my parents – in fact, all parents… for the effort they put in to raise a child.

Q: What’s your biggest hope for him?
A: As Oprah Winfrey said, “your pur­­­pose in life is to live out the highest expression of yourself as a human being. Max out your humanity.”

Q: Are you a hands-on daddy?
A: If that means baths, dirty diapers, messy feeding, and endless tickles and kisses, then yes I am.

Q: What’s your personal style?
A: Sarongs – LOVI style.

Q: So do you insist on wearing LOVI all the time?
A: I do. My wife laughs at me when I ask her what I should wear. The effort I need to put in only revolves around colour coordination.

Q: Who’s the celebrity you would like to see wearing LOVI?
A: George Clooney or Tom Cruise.

Q: Name three things you can’t do without…
A: Phone, wallet and keys. Coincidentally, all three fit in a LOVI sarong pocket.

Q: What do you miss the most about your tech days?
A: The passionate, ambitious, hard­working people in tech who want to make a difference. I don’t get to see them as much since my San Francisco days.

Q: And what defines you?
A: The gratitude and faith I have for the wonderful charmed life I live. And these days, it includes a two-year-old baby boy who has discovered running.