People wearing face masks talk during a wedding show in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on March 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Tang Lu)

The Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) to be held in November will showcase designs adapting to the new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the venue will include the Colombo Port City for the first time with the Indian Ocean as the backdrop, organizers said Tuesday.

Sri Lanka's CFW Swim Week Colombo, scheduled for November 12 and 13 in the national capital Colombo, will showcase works created by 11 local designers. The second day of the event will be held at the Marina of the Colombo Port City.

The Colombo Port City is a China-funded multibillion dollar project being constructed by China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) Port City Colombo. 

The project is being constructed on land reclaimed from the sea, located close to the Colombo Harbor.

The Colombo Port City, the first of its kind being constructed in the country, will attract billions of dollars of investments and will generate at least 80,000 jobs once completed, the Sri Lankan government said.

Founder and Managing Director of CFW Ajai Vir Singh said that they have partnered with the Colombo Port City in 2021 to show the world that Colombo has reopened and is ready for business once again following the lifting of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Ajai said the specialty for 2021 will be designs that cater to the new normal amid the pandemic.

He said it was important to hold the event as it was crucial to get the local fashion industry back on track.

"We chose to have the CFW closer to December as it will capture the December season, including weddings. A lot of designers are excited to come back out with creativity," Ajai said.