Brandix 2015 calendar inspires pride in Sri Lanka’s innovationheritage

The Brandix Group’s fascination with invention and innovation has found new expression in the form of a stirring tribute to Sri Lanka’s ancient designers, engineers and artisans in the Group’s 2015 calendar.

A rich and inspiring collection of information on some of the island’s great inventions and creations, dating as far back as 300 BC, provides uncommon depth to the arresting images in this distinctive calendar, themed ‘Innovations of the Ancients.’

Vying for approbation as great Sri Lankan inventions emerging from the mists of time are the world’s first lightning conductors; the ‘behethoruwa’ that testifies to the first hospital in the world; the ‘Ravanahatha’ – the world’s first violin; and Jetavanaramaya, the world’s largest brick structure. Each month of the year is dedicated to a unique invention or concept from the country’s evocative past.

“The past is a prophecy, pointing us towards what we may one day achieve by showing us what we have already accomplished,” the calendar says in its preamble. “Sri Lanka’s ancient engineers, architects, craftsmen, and builders have established a template for greatness, creating works of wonder that continue to inspire us today. At Brandix, we hope to continue their legacy, honouring their ground-breaking achievements by redefining what is possible.”

“Let us walk in their steps, contemplating the incredible innovations that they set their hands and minds to, so that we may see the world through their eyes: as a place of ceaseless potential, bounded only by the limits of our passion, ingenuity and imagination. Let us take a page from Sri Lanka’s glorious past so that, generations hence, our descendants will speak in pride of our innovations, of potential fulfilled and a world bettered.”

With the 2015 edition of its much anticipated calendar, Brandix continues its practice of adding value to this ubiquitous guide to the days, weeks, and months of the year, with painstaking research and custom photography that bring to life a well-deliberated theme.

This novel approach to calendar-making began with its trilogy titled ‘Water in Reflection’ (2009), ‘Water in Vessels’ (2010) and‘Water in Life’ (2011), which highlighted the transcendental significance of water (the Brandix Group’s main CSR focus) to diverse cultures and religions. These were followed by ‘The Difference is Passion’ (2012) which traced the history and evolution of the textile and apparel industries, ‘Fashioning Sri Lankan Identity’ (2013)which examined Sri Lankan culture through the lens of changing fashions and ‘Fabric in Motion’ (2014) which used subcontinental dance forms and costumes to examine the common threads that connect the cultures of Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

The 2015 Brandix calendar as well as its predecessors were conceptualised and produced in collaboration with the Group’s creative partner Q&E Advertising, Colombo. Commenting on this latest effort and the concept of the themed, information-rich calendar, Q&E CEO Asiri Abhayaratne said that “the project allowed us to shed light on the achievements of our ancestors, and set an inspiring example for present and future generations of Sri Lankan innovators.” He characterised the research and execution stages of the project as “incredibly exciting, giving our team the opportunity to trek through jungle, pilot drones, and learn about largely unexplored parts of our collective heritage.”

The pioneer of the concept of ‘total solutions’ in Sri Lanka’s apparel sector and a preferred supplier to some of the top retail brands in the US and Europe, Brandix is Sri Lanka’s single largest apparel exporter and is a benchmark and international award winner for eco-friendly manufacture and commitment to environmental best practice.