I have a great friend from Sri Lanka by the name of Jerry, who told me numerous stories about his country, which I have yet to visit.Sri Lanka used to known as Ceylon, at least before the Seventies, and is home to the Sinhalese, Tamils, and several additional ethnic groups.
The Sinhalese make up the majority of the population with 74%, while the Tamils are the largest minority.
Sri Lanka is rich in tea, coffee, coconut, rubber, and spices, as well as natural tropical beauty of its forests, beaches, and landscape.Owing to its geographic location, this island has been a strategic naval position in the Indian Ocean, leading to multiple colonisations, such as by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British.
The Portuguese gave Sri Lanka the name Ceylon, or Ceilão, from the Arab name Serendib. In Sanskrit, however, Sri Lanka means ‘venerable island.’
Recently I met another great Sri Lankan, well, at least the menswear label, Stringhopper.
In Sri Lanka, a string hopper (indi-appa) is a spaghetti-like ball—often eaten for breakfast—that is made by forcing rice dough through a sieve and seasoned with curry and sambal.
Equally scrumptious, this ready-to-wear menswear label succeeds in capturing the Sri Lankan way of life—casual and carefree—and coordinates it for the international man, who enjoys a relaxing weekend on a yacht.
Garments are manufactured with organic cotton, as the design teams strives for zero waste.
Respecting child labour laws and workers rights, Stringhopper is emerging as an ethical menswear brand.
Photos Copyright Stringhopper.
