Fashion has always been about expression, but when it becomes a platform for people who are too often overlooked, it can mean so much more than what we see on a runway.

Caroline Jurie is a familiar name in Sri Lanka, but today, through Caroline J Global Holdings, she is using her platform to create conversations around inclusion, confidence and belonging. The Unlabelled Runway 2026, returning for its second consecutive edition, brings together fashion and purpose in a way that challenges us to look beyond appearances and, more importantly, beyond labels.

On September 25 at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, professional models and public personalities will share the runway with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, young people from partner organisations, and cancer patients and survivors. With SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka, Indira Cancer Trust, Child Action Lanka and the Roshan Mahanama Trust joining the initiative, this is a runway designed to tell stories as much as showcase fashion.

I caught up with Caroline to speak about the idea behind The Unlabelled Runway, what she hopes it will change, and why sometimes the most beautiful thing we can wear is simply the confidence to be ourselves.

1. Caroline, let’s start with the name itself “The Unlabelled Runway.” We live in a world that loves putting people into boxes and attaching labels. What does being “unlabelled” personally mean to you?

Caroline:
To me, being unlabelled means having the freedom to exist without being defined by someone else’s expectations. We are so quick to identify people by their appearance, background, ability, profession or circumstances. The Unlabelled Runway is about looking beyond all of that and seeing the individual first.

2. This is now the second consecutive edition. When you first created The Unlabelled Runway, what was the moment or experience that made you feel Sri Lanka needed a platform like this?

Caroline:
I wanted to create something that went beyond a traditional fashion show. Fashion gives people visibility, and I felt that visibility could be shared with people whose stories and journeys are not always represented on platforms like this. That was really where the idea began.

3. You’ve said fashion can do more than showcase beauty. Having spent so much of your life in the beauty and fashion world, has your own definition of beauty changed over the years?

Caroline:
Absolutely. Beauty is much broader than appearance. Confidence, resilience, kindness, individuality and the courage to be yourself are all beautiful. The more people you meet and the more stories you hear, the more you realise that beauty cannot be limited to one definition.

4. Professional models and public personalities will walk alongside persons with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and young people from different backgrounds. Why was it important that everyone shared the same runway rather than creating separate showcases?

Caroline:
Because inclusion should not mean separation. The whole point is that everyone belongs in the same space. We don’t want anyone to feel that they are being included as an exception. They are part of the runway because they deserve to be there just like everybody else.

5. There is a danger with initiatives around inclusion that people can become a “story” for one evening and then be forgotten. How are you making sure The Unlabelled Runway creates an impact beyond September 25?

Caroline:
That is something we are very conscious about. The runway is a platform, but the relationships and conversations around it are equally important. Working with established organisations allows us to connect the event to people who are already doing meaningful work throughout the year. We want this to create visibility that continues beyond one evening.

6. You are collaborating with SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka, Indira Cancer Trust, Child Action Lanka and the Roshan Mahanama Trust. What did each of these organisations bring to the vision?

Caroline:
Each organisation works with different communities and brings its own experience and understanding. What connects everyone is a commitment to creating opportunities and supporting people. Bringing these organisations together also allows the runway to represent many different journeys rather than focusing on just one cause.

7. One particularly emotional part of the event will be the Pink Runway, dedicated to breast cancer awareness. What can audiences expect from this segment?

Caroline:
The Pink Runway is about courage, awareness and resilience. It will bring together individuals connected to the cause alongside professional models and public personalities. We want it to be uplifting while also reminding people about the importance of awareness and support.

8. When someone who may never have imagined themselves on a fashion runway walks out in front of an audience, what do you hope they feel in that exact moment?

Caroline:
I hope they feel seen. I hope they feel confident, celebrated and proud of who they are. If someone walks away from that runway feeling differently about themselves and what they are capable of, that is incredibly meaningful to us.

9. Fashion can sometimes be criticised for creating unrealistic standards of beauty. Do you see The Unlabelled Runway as a way of challenging the industry itself?

Caroline:
I think fashion is evolving, and it should continue evolving. Representation matters because people need to see that there isn’t just one acceptable image of beauty. If this runway contributes even in a small way towards broadening that conversation, then it is doing something worthwhile.

10. Sri Lankan and international designers will also come together for the showcase. How important was it to balance the social message with delivering a strong fashion experience?

Caroline:
Very important. Purpose and creativity do not have to compete with each other. We want this to be a beautiful fashion experience with strong design and talent, but we also want every element of the evening to have meaning. One can strengthen the other.

11. You are putting public personalities alongside individuals whose lives may be completely different from theirs. Do you think there is something powerful about removing status once everyone steps onto the same runway?

Caroline:
Definitely. On that runway, everyone is simply an individual with a story. That is part of the message. Titles, professions and backgrounds shouldn’t determine someone’s value. We want people to connect with one another as human beings first.

12. Caroline J Global Holdings also launched its new website alongside the announcement of The Unlabelled Runway. Is this the beginning of a bigger chapter for the Caroline J brand?

Caroline:
Yes. The website brings together the different areas we work across — fashion, beauty, talent, events and our purpose-driven initiatives. It gives us a dedicated space to showcase what we are building and the collaborations and projects we hope to continue developing.

13. You have experienced public attention, success and challenges in your own journey. How much of your personal resilience finds its way into projects like The Unlabelled Runway?

Caroline:
Every experience teaches you something. I think challenges can make you more aware of what other people may be going through and how important it is to create spaces where people feel accepted. My experiences have certainly influenced the kind of work I want to do today.

14. If a young person watching The Unlabelled Runway feels that they don’t fit society’s idea of what is beautiful, successful or “normal,” what would you want to say to them?

Caroline:
I would tell them that they don’t have to change themselves to fit somebody else’s definition. Their individuality is their strength. There is space for them, their story matters, and they deserve to be seen and valued for who they are.

15. Finally, when the lights go down at Cinnamon Lakeside on September 25 and the last person walks off that runway, what would make you say, “Yes, we achieved what we came here to do”?

Caroline:
If people leave thinking differently about the labels we place on others, that would mean a lot. But even more importantly, if every person who walks that runway leaves feeling proud, confident and valued, then I think we would have achieved something truly meaningful.