101's List of Top 10 Emerging Influential Faces in Sri Lanka
101's List of Top 10 Emerging Influential Faces in Sri Lanka
Raffealla Fernando - Award-winning Photographer and Fashion Designer
With an artistic eye for masterpieces,
She is a fashion designer.
She is a photographer.
She is the queen behind the lenses of the vibe-ing initiative RFCC.
She is the award-winning Raffealla Fernando!
Raffealla’s global experiences in India, Maldives, UAE, and also in high fashion countries such as France, Italy, and in London have positively grown her inner fashionista to a roaring beauty projected through style and photography. In 2022 she received a special award at the IPA International Photography Awards for her work of art with the stunning capture of ‘Eyes of Fire and Heart of Stone.’
In 2017, this talented superstar also won the award for photographer of the year at the International Achievers Awards in London, and during the BEFFTA Awards in the same year, she was listed in 8th place on the world rank! Amongst her many awards, she also showcased at the London Fashion Week in 2016 and designed for the 69th and 71st Cannes Film Festival red carpet. Talk about taking Sri Lanka to the world!
As Raffealla progressed in her career, her abilities and talents became increasingly apparent. She excelled in diverse roles, but her impact goes beyond her professional accomplishments. Raffealla has emerged as a respected figure in her community, using her platform to inspire and uplift others, making her a role model for many individuals in the field.
She is leaving no stone unturned! We are to expect her very own clothing line, a styling venture, and a photography book this year… and of course the grand continuation of the RFCC 2024!
Hi Raffealla, WOW! 11 years of RFCC! How do you feel witnessing your passion come to life for more than a decade?
"This is my 14th year in the industry and the 11th year for the calendar, to be honest RFCC started off as a fun project, more like a yearly celebrity portfolio summary, but it ended up becoming something more beautiful, and magical to the eye. A project with so much substance, love, respect, commitment, and hard work. I'm very passionate about photography and the calendar, and my heart is full every year after RFCC. This year was truly special because we had our very first international representation with Jacqueline Fernandez, it was the first for us in these 11 years.
RFCC is not my bread and butter but a project I do with so much love, commitment, and with the hard work of the entire team."
Working in different countries, how has your overall international exposure shaped you to become who you are today?
"I think it’s a dream for any creative artist to explore their talent in many different countries, situations, and platforms. I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunities to travel, see the world, explore art, work on interesting projects, win awards, get recognized, and expand my network.
Firstly, I had my very first international exposure as an artist, at the age of 14, I won an art competition in Japan and my painting was exhibited at the national Japanese art gallery, then I participated in many art competitions and won many of them as well. I did my very first work tour in 2013 to India and then I worked in many countries like Italy, France, London, Switzerland, Maldives, Dubai and more.
From working on fashion projects, pageants, and fashion shows, winning awards to being part of the fashion auction organized by the Prince Charles Charity Trust to the Cannes Film Festival, London Fashion Week, New York Fashion Awards, Asian European Fashion Week in Paris, to working in my 1st Bollywood project Cirkus movie promotions, it has been quite a ride which I'm very grateful for. I've learnt so much from each and every experience and it has shaped me into a better artist, a creative individual with active senses."
How do you handle the workload of simultaneously working in the fashion and photography industries? What is your go-to stress-relieving technique?
"I love to work and I love what I do. I genuinely enjoy the workload and don't consider it a stressful job.
There is a very famous saying " If you love what you do, you don't have to work a day" I believe it’s true.
When I have a hectic schedule, I make sure I eat well, and I meditate daily for 1 hour, which really helps me and has helped me a lot in the past as well. I read, listen to music and try to focus on my time as much as I can because it helps me focus better and do my job right."
What is your message to our young fashionistas and photography enthusiasts?
"Keep dreaming, work hard with passion, be honest with your art, and keep learning, researching, exploring every day and do what makes your heart happy. The industry is growing so if you work hard, you can make your own place in this industry."
Reference:
https://brunch.lk/pushing-the-bar-with-raffealla-fernando/