PRITHI FERNANDO

Founder and Creative Director of Prenita Chic

- By Thasmina Sookoor

Fashion is more than clothing; it is a reflection of identity, legacy, and passion. For Prithi Fernando, Founder and Creative Director of Prenita Chic, fashion is deeply personal, entwined with family heritage and her own journey. Inspired by her mother, Mrs. Nita Fernando, Sri Lanka's pioneering fashion entrepreneur, Prithi has | revived Prenita Fashions as Prenita Chic, offering international designer wear to Colombo while ensuring| that every purchase contributes to charity. In this exclusive Q&A, she shares her inspiration, vision, and insights on balancing elegance, culture, and purpose.

What inspired you to start Prenita Fashions, and how has your vision evolved since its inception?

Fashion has always been in my blood. My greatest inspiration was my mother, Mrs. Nita Fernando, who in 1968 became the first lady in Sri Lanka to open a fully imported saree boutique; Prenita Fashions. As a little girl, I would watch her dress women in the finest sarees, and I can still remember the joy and pride in their faces. That elegance stayed with me. Later, I carried the same passion, but at that time, I had devoted myself fully to my beloved Mr. A.G. Ratnapala Samaraweera, who was my strength and encouragement. Because of that commitment, I couldn't continue the store then. After he passed, I felt an emptiness, a loneliness... and that's when I knew it was time to bring Prenita back to life. Today, I have revived it with a new vision; modern, stylish, yet full of purpose. Every purchase at Prenita Chic goes entirely to charity.

After the relaunch in Colombo, how would you describe the new identity of Prenita?