Who Founder & Creative Director – Shivangini Parihar Partner & Business Head – Rekha Datla
The Beginning – Shivangini I come from a village in Gujarat called Miyagam but spent my childhood in boarding school in a hill station right till my mid-teens, surrounded by quietness and nature. We had a summer house in Mount Abu, where my grandmother lived. It was by a lake in a valley surrounded by small hills. She had filled the farm with wild roses and medicinal herbs. She used to experiment with patterns and have a new frock ready for me every time I visited. She had even bought a special sewing machine to make leather bags for her family and friends, it was her hobby. She lived by the seasons, cooked and ate accordingly. I think these years had the deepest influence on me. Which is why the brand is called The Summer House. It is a memory from long ago of how life felt when lived organically and deeply. It is also a plan for the future, how life should be.
When I had a baby in early 2010, for the first time I gave some thought to what was more important to me. Not just in terms of career and family, but how I wanted to live the rest of my life. That’s when all these memories came back. In mid 2012, I started experimenting with designs for home wares. Six months later I started selling through other portals online. The response was encouraging but being online also meant time away from what I truly enjoyed – which was the design aspect – in order to promote and market the product. So I shared some designs with Fabindia, they approved, and we started supplying to them. Someone who was visiting from abroad suggested I start exports as well. That was a huge step, and working with big companies really helped to put systems in place in terms of quality standards and production timelines.
In 2013, I got my first export order for block printed fabric, something I had been wanting to do for a long time. The client asked if I could put together the clothing production as well, and I said yes thinking I will wing it. Only when it came to actually matching their quality standards did I realize how tough it was and how crucial it is to be well prepared. Eventually things fell in place, but the lesson to always do your homework and not over-promise has stuck.
And then sometime mid last year, I got a call from Rekha. She had seen The Summer House on Facebook. She called for a small design project, we met once, and we knew we wanted to work together. From then on, it’s just been about putting together the pieces of this dream we have, one day at a time.
Pricing Strategy One of the first things we decided was to be a brand for people with taste, not necessarily just money. So often we see something we love but don’t buy it because the pricing makes it feel like an indulgence. We really believe in providing fabulous quality at a price that is viable for both us and the consumer, which is why our prices range between INR 775 – 4000. It’s tough but we are finding ways to make it possible. By being only an online store we pass on savings to the consumer because we do not incur expenses that traditional retailers do. We also work with craftsmen and weavers directly so we avoid any expenses for middlemen here as well.
The biggest challenge has been in getting craftsmen to understand the quality we strive for and get them to follow deadlines. This directly affects sampling time.
The Consumer The Summer House is for someone who has a minimalist aesthetic. They appreciate the value of products not made in factories. For example, the same prints or wares can be created with machines. But our consumer knows why it is important to consume responsibly. Also, our designs are soft-spoken so they cater to a certain kind of person. Somebody who believes it is not necessary to be loud to make a statement. With stores going on sale all the time one starts thinking about what the real value of the product is. When you buy our product you know it is at its true value.
Working Moms From our working hours to our travel plans, everything is decided around family time. What we often discuss is how what we do will impact our children. They may not follow our work paths, but they will inherit our ways. Sustainable and responsible methods and consumption are a big part of it.
Life Experience We both have had very different career paths, one in advertising and the other in boutique retail. This will hopefully work to our advantage. We often come across designers, or for that matter even craftsmen, who are so brilliant at what they do but are unable to convey their ideas correctly. So an advertising background helps at some level to express the vision. On the other hand, having someone with the experience of running a lifestyle store, helps us understand and overcome the pitfalls of not just setting up shop, but managing it on a daily basis.
Digital References Pinterest 101 Cookbooks Local Milk Kate Spade New York
Beth Kirby from Local Milk lives life beautifully, gathering friends and stories along the way. Lisa Hackwith of Hackwith Design is genuine in her design and intentions. We also admire Kinfolk magazine for doing what they do. In terms of e-tailers, two come to mind. Everlane has transparency and quality as its key philosophy. And Reformation believes in sustainability as much as they do in fashion.
Books Many, but Somerset Maugham, Fyodor Dostoevsky, George Orwell and John Steinbeck are favourite authors.
Work History Shivangini Founder, The Summer House, 2012 – current Copywriter, McCann-Erickson, Mumbai, 2006 – 2009 Copywriter, Triton, Mumbai, 2002 – 2005 Rekha Partner, The Summer House, 2013 – current Owner, Studio Zara, Bangalore, 2004 – 2006 
Contact thesummerhouse.in
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