The beauty industry is developing extremely rapidly, and celebrities are regularly launching their own beauty brands. Prakti, created by Indian model Pritika Swarup, is not just a beauty brand, it is much more. It is a concept that she created based on a 5000-year-old proven system of wellness in India that she has been practicing all her life.
The heroine of the new ELLE.UA digital cover told us about her brand, its mission and the importance of preserving Indian cultural traditions in an exclusive interview.
You’ve worked with so many incredible brands throughout your career as a model. What made you create your own brand?
I saw the need for Prakti. I’ve practiced Ayurveda, India’s 5000-year-old proven wellness system, my entire life and feel blessed to have been brought up with this holistic approach to beauty and wellness. I understood how powerful these rituals and remedies are and wanted to share them with the world in a way that would resonate with my generation and make Ayurveda truly accessible to all. I felt compelled to create a brand that is inclusive and offers a true representation of global beauty. From childhood, I didn’t feel represented in Western media, but I didn’t realize the extent of the lack of representation until I started modeling, and how absent so many groups were. My experiences led to my desire to use my voice and platform to advocate for change in the beauty industry; increasing diversity and inclusivity. I made it my responsibility to champion all women with Prakti. This is at Prakti’s core. Prakti champions India’s heritage, culture, rituals, and sciences. It was important for me to make a place for my culture and bring it to a wider audience by drawing on my own personal experience.
Where does your inspiration for the product innovation come from?
My inspiration comes from the desire to push boundaries to provide a better experience and better products that solve existing problems — something missing from the market. While maintaining the integrity of Ayurveda with a results-driven approach, innovation remains top of mind when I bring to life the product philosophies themselves. The result: modern, high-performance products that balance innovation with sensorial pleasure through luxurious textures, mood-enhancing aromas and sensory cues that nurture overall wellness.
There are a ton of celebrity beauty brands saturating the market. What makes Prakti different?
Prakti is not a celebrity beauty brand — it is so much more than that. Prakti is a concept I created. It’s about sharing my culture and heritage with the world in a way that resonates with all women and making Ayurveda, a proven holistic wellness system, accessible like it has never been before, to improve overall health and wellbeing. Prakti’s hybrid concept also reflects my determination to support cultural fusion and openness to all traditions and lifestyles. Our innovative formulas are high-performance, clinically tested yet sensorial, and our Ayurveda for All™ platform emphasizes education of this proven holistic wellness system.
You have been known to redefine the traditional notion of beauty and jumpstart the conversation about holistic wellness. Can you tell us in your own words the key difference between beauty in the East and West?
Through Prakti, I have pushed to transform the traditional definition of beauty to encompass holistic beauty and wellness. Western beauty has historically focused on the physical aspect of beauty (hyperpigmentation, acne etc.) whereas Eastern beauty is focused on the ritual of self-care as a spiritual and soulful approach that is based on the balance of the mind, body and soul. I believe it is equally important to address how individuals are feeling on the inside, and I have created products that support overall wellbeing at every touchpoint of the experience, including the mood enhancing aromas and textures. That’s why I launched our educational platform, Ayurveda for All™ to provide resources for all women to easily integrate practices that improve overall health and wellbeing during daily self-care.
You have achieved success at a young age not only as an international model, but also as an entrepreneur disrupting the beauty industry. How do you deal with that success and the constant pressures that come with it?
I have always dedicated myself to my work, craft, and passions. I feel blessed to have gone through all the experiences that have led me to this part of my journey — all the challenges and difficult times especially caused me to build mental fortitude and self awareness that has helped me stay grounded and consistent. As to pressures, it’s more of an internal struggle as I am my harshest critic. Continuing to do my best and give all that I can in all areas of my life is important to me, so if I feel I’ve fallen short even if it looks like a success on the outside I get down on myself. That said, I have gotten better at celebrating the smaller steps that lead to the bigger picture, but a part of me is always thinking what’s next? I achieved this, but what’s next? That probably comes from the influence of my parents who always pushed me to keep growing.
What do you hope to accomplish with Prakti in the next five years?
I hope to unlock Ayurvedic beauty and wellness for all women to improve their overall health and wellbeing and to inspire women to fearlessly pursue multidimensional, fulfilling lives. My goal is for Prakti to provide the tools to help women be their very best. Although we are focusing on skincare to start, Prakti will be moving into various categories, and I’m excited to continue to launch our next two in 2024.
You were named «It Girl of 2022» and your style is admired far beyond the fashion industry. Where do you get your inspiration from, and how has it evolved over the years?
My style has evolved dramatically over the years. A few years ago I didn’t give as much thought to my style choices and the overall aesthetic of my look was not necessarily representative of my personal brand. That said, my style is timeless and classic with an edgy, modern twist, which creates a minimal yet sophisticated look. My inspiration for each look I wear comes from the world around me — the culture, the mindset, and the energy of NYC. That said, each style choice definitely brings out a different part of my personality, and my outfits always reflect my personal aesthetic. I feel having that foundation is key when building your overall brand.
What are the biggest lessons you have learned throughout your career?
1. Never give up just because the first three doors don’t swing wide open for you.
2. Don’t wait for someone else to bring opportunity to you — go out and get it for yourself.
3. Your best is good enough.
4. Don’t conform to what others think you need to be.
5. Always go with your gut.
Model: Pritika Swarup @pritikaswarup
Photographer: Natasha Kot @natashakot
Stylist: Kristina Askerova @krisyasker
Mua/hair: Viktoriya Shostakovich @viktoriya_shostak
Assistant: Chris Roudier @chrisroudier
Postprod @feelgoodcr
Management: @say__media
