Model, CEO, advocate: Is there anything Pritika Swarup ‘21GS can’t do? As she shared in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam, she’s certainly not interested in limiting herself anytime soon.
Swarup arrived at Columbia GS as a successful model looking to expand her horizons while keeping a foot in fashion. After graduating with a degree in financial economics, Swarup brought her fashion experience, financial savvy, and cultural heritage together to found her company Prakti Beauty.
“Eastern and Western beauty ideals are very different,” the Indian American entrepreneur notes. “In India, it’s more about the balance of the mind, body and consciousness. Everything is so interconnected and holistic.” Those are Prakti Beauty’s critical principles, and they also show up in Swarup’s philanthropic work; She is a longtime global ambassador for Operation Smile and has spoken before the United Nations General Assembly on gender justice in developing countries.
Something that Swarup identifies as critical to her success across fields is her willingness to embrace her multi-hyphenate status. For example, she shares, “when I started Prakti, I was told I wouldn’t be taken seriously as a founder and as a businesswoman if I continued to model. I considered stopping completely because I wanted to put this brand first. And then I realized that (modeling career) was one of my greatest strengths. I have amazing relationships in the industry. I’ve learned so much through working with these amazing beauty companies, I am able to see a beauty brand from both sides – representing brands and seeing how other brands are marketing their products while building my own.”
Swarup’s unapologetic approach is yielding undeniable results: She recently signed with vaunted talent agency CAA, and Prakti Beauty was picked up by Goop and Credo.
Looking forward, Swarup plans to continue forging her own path and hopes to encourage others chasing their unique dreams. As she puts it, “I want to inspire women to fearlessly pursue all of their passions.”
To view the full interview and editorial layout, please visit Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam.
