When Shimna Chandan attended a formal event wearing a dress by Sri Lankan designer Sonali Dharmawardena, she not only received numerous compliments for its uniqueness but was questioned on whether she was wearing someone famous like Versace. That memory was one of the many forces that drew her to launch Tambapanni Collective, a platform dedicated to showcasing luxury brands from Sri Lanka.
“When I recognised colleagues and friends taking an interest in Sri Lankan designers, art and wellness, I was keen to create a platform to make them easily available to a larger and more international audience,” says Sri Lanka-born but Singapore-based Chandan.
“An ultimate life goal of mine is for the rich cultural beauty of Sri Lanka to be seen, heard, and felt by the rest of the world.”
The name is inspired by the Kingdom of Tambapanni, the first Sinhalese kingdom of Sri Lanka between 543 BC and 437 BC. It was founded by King Vijaya, who was banished from India as a prince and became the first Sinhalese king of modern-day Sri Lanka.
“It felt fitting to name the first Sri Lankan luxury e-commerce platform after the kingdom, as Tambapanni Collective’s story is an ode to the subtle glamour of yesteryear and an expression of quintessential Sri Lankan heritage and culture,” she says.
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Before founding Tambapanni Collective, Chandan spent 16 years working in international investments in Singapore, India, and the Middle East while holding senior positions at international banks like ABN AMRO, Barclays, and Deutsche Bank. She is vice president of investment at Vistas Media Capital, a Singapore-based media content and technology company that invests in global media and entertainment ventures.
A rare glimpse of Sri Lanka
Chandan launched Tambapanni Collective in 2021, covering the entire fashion and lifestyle vertical with an online curation of jewellery and clothing for women, home and décor items, wellness, art and holiday destinations to give people a rare glimpse of Sri Lanka sartorial finery.
To get the platform up and running, she invested $25,000 and hired a six-man team in Ceylon to manage social media, tech, and operations. Under her supervision, the team is working to populate the site with more luxury products and services that are ethically made.
Some notable brands include apparel by Amilani Perera, whose handloom fabrics were woven by survivors of violence; fine tableware by Noritake; handmade batik by Sonali Dharmawardena; and jewellery by Papillon Du Thé, as well as Iroshini (from Singapore-based aesthetic doctor Iroshini Chua).
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All orders placed on Tambapanni Collective’s website are shipped directly out of Sri Lanka, and Singapore will only carry stock to showcase the collection during regular pop-ups throughout the year. Customised orders are managed via the site’s shopping concierge, which directly links customers with the designers or artisans.
Customers will also be connected with partnering Sri Lankan travel agents for luxury holiday bookings to manage all transfers and logistics. And all art queries are overseen by in-house art curator Suresh Dominic, who can host buyers in Sri Lanka for an intimate dinner with the artist to present all available artworks.
The launch of Tambapanni Collective in Singapore comes after one of the toughest periods in Sri Lanka’s history, where the country experienced possibly its worst economic crisis. With this collective, Chandan hopes to support the economy by boosting the popularity of Sri Lankan luxury products and providing more commissions for artisans.
“In 2022, we faced several challenges, as there were long power cuts, shortages in fuel, and protests in Sri Lanka. However, we supported each of our partners in the best ways possible, and Tambapanni Collective’s team back home was resilient and pulled through the tough times,” she says.
Supporting Sri Lankan charities
Chandan has philanthropic intentions for the website: To support Sri Lankan charities through the Tambapanni Foundation. From every sale of an item, 10% of the proceeds will go to charities supporting causes such as helping victims of abuse and providing legal support for women and children in need.
“The Tambapanni Foundation is very close to my heart. I was deeply involved in various relief programmes in 2022, helping rural towns with stocking medical supplies and initiating food programmes and education support schemes.
She adds: “During previous philanthropic endeavours, I met with several women who accomplished great work supporting various humanitarian causes at a much deeper level. I hope to gather these remarkable people to feature their stories under the Tambapanni Foundation and raise funds to support what they do for the Sri Lankan community.”
Chandan hopes to expand to other geographies by the end of the year. She says: “Tambapanni Collective will expand its availability beginning with Australia, India, and Dubai. We will also expand into retail by bringing franchiser Spa Ceylon to Singapore and, eventually, F&B. Stay tuned!”
“Ultimately, I hope to create a niche platform for Sri Lankan designers, art, and culture to be exposed internationally. It’s high time we had the spotlight shine on these great artisans and a boost in popularity for bespoke luxury travel packages in Sri Lanka.
