This isn't a brand story. It's a bet on a different way of making things — slower, smaller, more human.
There's a moment that happens when you hold something made by hand. You feel the slight irregularity. The texture that machines can't replicate. The evidence that a person — not a process — made this thing exist.
That feeling is becoming rare. And we think that's a problem.
The Problem with Fashion
The fashion industry produces over 100 billion garments a year. Most are worn a handful of times before being thrown away. The people who make them are often invisible — nameless workers in factories optimized for speed, not dignity.
We've been trained to see clothing as disposable. Buy cheap, wear once, discard. The cost is hidden: environmental destruction, exploited labor, a culture that mistakes consumption for identity.
Thriwana is our small refusal. Our bet that there's another way.
What We're Trying
We're starting small. Deliberately small. 10 designs. 100 pieces total. We're calling it the Founders Drop — not because we want to sound exclusive, but because this is genuinely the beginning. An experiment.
Our hypothesis is simple:
People will pay fair prices for beautiful things made by real humans, if they know the story behind them.
If we're right, we'll grow — slowly, carefully, with the same values we started with. If we're wrong, we'll have learned something true.
Why Sri Lanka
Thriwana was born in Arugam Bay, a surf town on Sri Lanka's east coast. It's the kind of place that teaches you patience. The waves come when they come. The people move at the speed of trust.
The founder, Shehan, grew up here. He learned the craft from his mother, who learned it from hers. Block printing isn't just a technique — it's a lineage. A living tradition that connects generations.
When you wear Thriwana, you're wearing that connection. You're part of a chain that stretches back further than any of us can remember.
What We Believe
We believe clothing should carry meaning — not noise.
We believe the person who makes something matters as much as the person who buys it.
We believe in growth that's earned, not forced. Proof before partnership. Cashflow before expansion. Values before scale.
We believe in moving slowly so we can move far.
An Invitation
If you're reading this, you're early. The Founders Drop is our first test. A small batch of pieces made with intention, offered to people who care about where their clothes come from.
We're not trying to change the world. We're just trying to make things differently — and to find the people who value that difference.
If that's you, welcome. We're glad you're here.
— The Thriwana Team
Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka