Senuri Perera never sees herself as a traditional designer. Instead, she is a curator of feeling and function, creating clothes rooted in simplicity and real life - pieces that let you feel like yourself, but a little more elevated. Her approach to design mirrors her approach to life, what she calls Beautiful Chaos, trusting that everything happens for a reason, even when it doesn’t make sense in the moment. Optimistic, cheerful, and a little delusional in the best way, Senuri brings faith and heart to everything she creates. Ammiro, the brand she co-founded with her mother, Lekha Perera, is a mother-daughter label built on complementary strengths. Senuri drives the creative vision and marketing, while Lekha contributes to the rational and strategy. Together, they have built a brand that balances intention, elegance, and thoughtful design; a reflection of both their personalities and their shared vision.
Inheritance of Intention
Fashion was never the original plan. Like many Asian children, Senuri initially followed a “stable” path: finance. Yet creativity ran in her family. Her grandfather began in the handloom trade and later converted his factory into a garment manufacturing unit when small producers could no longer compete with mass imports. Her mother, Lekha, worked there before studying clothing production at the London College of Fashion in 1988. Years later, Senuri completed a Master’s in Fashion Marketing at the same institution and worked in marketing at The Design Collective, which today stocks her brand. If asked a decade ago whether she saw herself in fashion, her answer would have been no. Yet stepping into Ammiro now feels like continuing a legacy, interpreted in her own way; a legacy that she carries alongside her mother, Lekha, her co-founder in the brand. Working with family blurs the line between home and work, Senuri reflects, yet fashion has always been the language they share. Childhood memories of Christmas trips to Oxford Circus, strolling past festive lights and shop windows, now echo in Ammiro’s sensibilities. She admires her mother as a partner, mentor, and fellow businesswoman - someone whose “no” isn’t an option, even when Senuri occasionally pushes her buttons. Together, they bridge generations while bringing a fresh take to vintage fashion.
Crafting with Care
Every Ammiro piece begins with fabric and function. Senuri and Lekha focus on how clothing feels on the body, how it moves, and how it fits into daily life. Classic silhouettes are elevated with subtle details, like the Dawson shirt, a simple oversized button-down refined with a covered placket and inverted pleat for structure, small touches that make each piece thoughtfully considered. Trends are never followed blindly. Popular colours or shapes are filtered through a simple test: can it live beyond a season? Is it effortless? “We absorb what resonates, let the rest pass, and stay anchored in restraint,” Senuri explains, ensuring each piece feels current without feeling temporary. And behind every garment, there is a story, and its name is part of that narrative. For example, her first collection, An Ode to Her, honoured the women who shaped her life; from family to close friends. Each name reflects a personal connection, giving the piece meaning, depth, and something distinctly real.
Inspired by Admiration
If Senuri could collaborate with any designer, it would be Jacquemus. She admires how his work feels effortless yet bold, with playful shapes and colours. Beyond clothing, she’s fascinated by how he creates entire worlds around his collections, turning each show and campaign into a story people want to live in, not just wear. The name Ammiro grew from tradition, intuition, and a touch of serendipity. Following cultural practice, two years ago, Senuri’s parents consulted an astrologer, assigning the first letter “A.” After trying and discarding combinations of family names, she discovered the Italian word Ammirare - meaning “to admire,” with Ammiro as the past tense. The name clicked immediately, even containing “AMMI” and six letters, her lucky number, a small, serendipitous moment that felt perfectly aligned. Since then, it has become a name of admiration, celebrating everyone involved, from seamstresses and suppliers in Pettah to their customers.
To a Thoughtfully Curated Wardrobe
Looking ahead, Senuri hopes Ammiro will stand for clarity, enduring design, and the joy of bringing people together. “Fashion, at its best, isn’t just about garments - it’s about creating experiences and celebrating people,” she reflects. The Tamara vest, from Ammiro’s first collection, perfectly embodies this approach: functional yet polished, seamlessly worn from work to weekend, a piece you reach for again and again. “It defines what Ammiro is about creating no-fuss pieces that immediately make you feel a million,” says Senuri. In many ways, the Tamara vest captures the soul of Ammiro, a versatile design, carefully made, balancing ease with sophistication. Through Senuri Perera, the brand stands for thoughtful, intentional fashion that celebrates people, community, and the joy of living well.
Streets, Sun, Style: Summer in the City
Ammiro presents Summer in the City, a collection that redefines warm-weather dressing for an urban tropical landscape. In a country celebrated for its beaches and resort wear, the brand takes a different approach - capturing the mood of summer through city-ready silhouettes. Linens and cottons are tailored into pieces that transition seamlessly from office hours to late dinners, balancing structure with ease. Senuri explains that she designed the collection around her own city life: “It’s a little selfish, I’ll admit - I designed it around what I would need living in the city.” Think fast mornings, hectic workdays, golden-hour walks, café mornings, and Colombo nights; the collection is designed to move with all of it. Each piece is rooted in a sense of place, named after streets in Colombo - Chatham, York, Lotus, Beira - creating a quiet, personal narrative. The launch, a “Café Ammiro + Vinyl Party”, reflected the same ethos: clothing that customers can grab and go without overthinking, paired with music, caffeine, community, and nostalgia. More than a nod to a season Sri Lanka doesn’t officially have, Summer in the City is an attitude: refined, easy, and entirely in step with Colombo life.
