Growing children inspire mother’s fashion focus

Driven by sustainability and the everyday struggle of kids quickly outgrowing clothes, mother of two Yasomali Sandaruwani (Sanda) is aiming to reshape children’s fashion with her practical, eco-conscious designs.

Sanda is among 140 students who will cross the stage at Otago Polytechnic's Spring graduation, on Friday 12 September at the Dunedin Town Hall.

She moved to Dunedin from Sri Lanka with her family in May last year, to study towards a Master of Fashion Design, after previously graduating with a Bachelor degree in Fashion Design and Product Development from the University of Moratuwa (Sri Lanka) in 2011.

Sri Lanka is an international manufacturing hub for apparel, and the industry is the country's leading export.

Sanda's initial qualification saw her tackle a range of roles across the industry in her home country, including as a merchandiser, fashion designer, and assistant buyer.  She was able to work with big global brands like Patagonia, Nike, and Calvin Klein.

"But it was my experience working with Patagonia in particular that really inspired me to think about the sustainability approach for my design ideas," says Sanda.

She was encouraged to consider further study overseas, after more than a decade working in the industry in Sri Lanka.

When researching international options to pursue her Master’s degree, Sanda was impressed with the strong focus on sustainability of Otago Polytechnic's School of Fashion programme, and the ability to complete her qualification in just 12 months.

She persuaded her husband Baany Safar and two young children to move to Dunedin in May 2024, just as winter was settling in.

"When we first arrived, I quickly noticed the number of Patagonia jackets and other thick clothing being worn that we had made in Sri Lanka."

"That was new to me. While we manufactured these items, the temperature back home is 20-30 degrees all year round, so we didn't need them there."

However, the high price of clothing in New Zealand for her two young daughters - and a lack of longer dresses appealing to Asian families - quickly focused her thinking around a direction for her fashion designs.

"I used to buy a lot of clothes for my children. But they grow really fast, so the things I brought from Sri Lanka were no longer fitting them."

Sanda began designing a collection of adjustable childrenswear for growing bodies, creating garments that could be worn by a pre-schooler right through into their early school years.

She incorporated versatility into dresses that could be adjusted by unzipping colourful sections, or by clipping the straps onto different button.

"That's the unique selling point for my collection, which I've called Made to grow, Built to last," she says.

"They feature sustainability, durability and longevity.  I also wanted to incorporate playfulness, so the garments are designed to cope with the active engagement of young children."

Sanda is full of praise for the quality of learning she's enjoyed at Otago Polytechnic's School of Fashion, and particularly for the support and cultural understanding of Head of Fashion, Margo Barton, and her programme supervisors, Rekha Rana Shailaj and Simon Swale.

Yasomali Sandaruwani (Sanda) with her supervisors Rekha Shailaj (L) and Simon Swale (R)

Rekha says Sanda’s prior experience in the fashion industry contributed to her success in her Master’s studies, and will assist her in pursuing further career opportunities.

“As an international student, she has effectively navigated New Zealand's bicultural society while maintaining her traditional values,” says Rekha.

“Her positive experience in Dunedin, a university town, has been welcoming and supportive.” 

Sanda says the polytechnic's Student Support and Student Success teams have also helped her successfully complete her studies, including assistance with writing which can be hard as an English as second language student.

Her husband Baany has also been welcomed into the Otago Polytechnic family. While visiting an Employment Expo on campus last year, he was able to find a job in the social services sector and is now being supported by his employer to study towards a relevant qualification at the polytechnic.

Sanda is planning to pitch her business idea as part of the Audacious Startup Dunedin programme and is hoping to stay in New Zealand with her family for at least a few more years, as she pursues her new goals.

"If I didn't have two kids I might not have even thought about this product. The inspiration came from them."