At the age of 25, Dr. Malitha Kannangara has achieved much and surprised many, and really bent the rules of conformity.
Having recently returned from the Nizhny Novogrod State Medical Academy in Russia where he studied Medicine for the last 7 years. His stay in Europe inspired in him a vision for a more open society. “
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Determined to contribute towards this change in his own way, Dr. Kannangara set out to create his own designer footwear. “I wanted to let Sri Lankan people enjoy something elegant for an affordable price,” he says of his own brand of slippers.
He decided to name his brand ‘HIKKA’ simply because Hikkaduwa is one of his favourite places. It also happens to be where he first decided to try his luck at surfing.
Keeping to a low profit margin, he has priced Hikka Slippers at Rs. 350-400 so that everyone, regardless of their status in society, can enjoy wearing them. The demand for Hikka slippers has been high with more than 30,000 sales since the brand was launched in April this year.
Hikka slippers come in blue, red, green, orange, black, pink and luminous green, and are made out of 100% natural rubber, with a rubber softener added to make the slippers long lasting and comfortable. “You have to compromise neither fashion nor style. You can enjoy the best of both!” They are available at Spring & Summer in Colombo and other stores island wide. Dr. Kannangara also hopes to introduce items for kids in the near future.
With the assistance of his father, Mr. Chandra Kannangara, the owner of Lakpa Footwear (Pvt.) Ltd., who has 35 years of experience in the industry, Dr. Kannangara hopes to take his venture to “a very big level”. In spite of his tight schedule he says, “I will never give up medicine. It is a treasure I have”. He hopes to further his education and specialize in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the US or Germany.
With his medical career and budding entrepreneurship, he says “time is limited”, but he does not forget to head to Hikkaduwa for a surf during the weekend. “When making decisions, many of us think only about what others will think. “Do it for your sake, with self confidence and self satisfaction” advises Dr Malitha. “Do what makes you happy... with fashion, with life. The choice is yours. Life is shorter than you think”.
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