Ashcharya Peiris
{{Short description|Sri Lankan fashion designer and motivational speaker}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ashcharya Peiris
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| nationality = Sri Lankan
| education = Devi Balika Vidyalaya
| alma_mater = Warwick University
| occupation = fashion designer, motivational speaker
| organization =
| known_for = first Sri Lankan blind fashion designer
| spouse =
| awards =
}}
Nayana Ashcharya Peiris Jayakody ({{langx|si|නයන අෂ්චර්යා පීරීස් ජයකොඩි}}) also known as Ashcharya Peiris, is a blind Sri Lankan fashion designer and motivational speaker.{{Cite web|url=https://www.terrafemina.com/article/femmes-les-plus-influentes-qui-est-ashcharya-peiris-la-creatrice-de-mode-aveugle_a350963/1|title=Ashcharya Peiris, la styliste non-voyante super inspirante|website=www.terrafemina.com|language=fr|access-date=2019-11-21}} She is the country's first visually impaired fashion designer and works for designer brand Christina Glory. She lost her eyesight in a suicide bomb blast in 2000.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ma-grande-taille.com/psycho/confiance-en-soi/creatrice-mode-ashcharya-peiris-256865|title=Cette créatrice de mode non-voyante passionne par son histoire et sa détermination|date=2019-11-07|website=The Body Optimist|language=fr-FR|access-date=2019-11-21|archive-date=21 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221170326/https://www.ma-grande-taille.com/psycho/confiance-en-soi/creatrice-mode-ashcharya-peiris-256865|url-status=dead}} She is regarded as the prominent disabled woman in the country.{{clarify|date=November 2019}} She was the only Sri Lankan woman included in the BBC's list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-50042279|title=BBC 100 Women 2019: Who is on the list?|date=2019-10-16|access-date=2019-11-20|language=en-GB}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/sri-lanka-50267437|title=ලොව වඩාත්ම බලපෑම් සහගත කාන්තාවන් අතරට ගිය ශ්රී ලංකාවේ ආශ්චර්යා|last=කුමාර|first=දැහැමි රණවීර සහ ෂර්ලි උපුල්|date=2019-11-04|access-date=2019-11-21|language=en-GB}}
Career
After completing her primary education at the Devi Balika Vidyalaya, she pursued Diploma in English language from Warwick University.{{Cite web|url=http://www.life.lk/article/ww/W-W---Ashcharya-Peiris/243/19008|title=Life Online - W@W - Ashcharya Peiris|website=www.life.lk|language=English|access-date=2019-11-21}} After her graduation, she worked as a banker at the HSBC Bank (Hong Kong & Shanghai Business Corporation).
Peiris' life dramatically changed after becoming a victim to a suicide bomb blast claimed by the LTTE in March 2000 in Rajagiriya, when she was on her way to her home from bank while driving the car.{{Cite web|url=https://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=snotes&nid=30940|title=10 from South Asia figure in 2019 BBC list of 100 influential women|website=southasiamonitor.org|language=en|access-date=2019-11-21}}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} She lost her eyesight in a blast where nearly 21 people were killed and 47 people were injured. However she narrowly survived from the blast.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140629/plus/seeing-colours-and-patterns-in-her-mind-104941.html|title = Seeing colours and patterns in her mind | the Sundaytimes Sri Lanka}} She lost her job due to her visual impairment and was abandoned by her family and friends.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}
Peiris changed her career and started work as a fashion designer founding a designer brand, Christina Glory in 2016. The brand has also featured in Ceylon Fashion Week. She entered Sri Lanka's UP and Coming Fashion Designer Competition in 2014 where she was one of the finalists.{{Cite web|url=http://archives1.sundayobserver.lk/2018/01/28/spotlight/there-comes-time-when-cup-overflows-beauty-her-forte|title=There comes a time when the cup overflows: Beauty is her forte|date=2018-01-26|website=Sunday Observer|language=en|access-date=2019-11-21}}
in 2017 she was listed in the Top 10 Most Remarkable Women of Sri Lanka by the Independent Television Network, coinciding with International Women's Day.{{Cite web|url=http://mgt.sjp.ac.lk/bec/motivational-session-dream-it-be-it/|title=Motivational Session "Dream it, Be it"|last=Economics {{!}}|first=Administrator Department of Business|date=2019-07-03|website=Department of Business Economics|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-21}} She works as a volunteer to assist Sri Lanka Army through Arya Foundation.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/caption_story/-Salute-You-at-Gemunu-Regiment/110-144849|title='Salute You' at Gemunu Regiment|website=www.dailymirror.lk|language=English|access-date=2019-11-21}} She gives motivational speeches and lectures to young women, children and disabled people.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peiris, Ashcharya}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Sri Lankan fashion designers
Category:Sri Lankan women fashion designers