National Institute of Fashion Technology,

Hyderabad

Entrepreneurship & Sustainable Business Practices

Fashion Management Studies

2022-2024

Brief: - Identifying a business “related to Retailing or

any other service” based on the market study and
suggesting improvement of the business with respect to
market and sustainable business practices.

Guided By: - Submitted By: -

Prof. A. Srinivasa Akshita Singh
Rao Arushi Srivastava
Madhushika Paul
Smriti
Vanisha Sher
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We are highly thankful to National Institute of Fashion Technology, Hyderabad for giving
us this wonderful opportunity to let us gain knowledge in this organization. Special thanks
to our MFM department for providing us materials and guidance that helped us in
enhancing my knowledge. We would also like to thank Mr. A. Srinivasa Rao for guiding
us on work on report projects. We have gained confidence while working on this report
and it has also enhanced our profession skills. We would to like to thank Mr. Vijay Kr.
Mantri NIFT Hyderabad for providing us this opportunity.

We would also like to thank the Centre Coordinator of Fashion Management Studies, Mr.
Shiv Kumar Belli for his help and guidance. Our thanks and appreciations also go to our
colleagues in the organization who have willingly helped me out with their abilities.

Thanking You

Akshita Singh
Arushi Srivastava
Madhushika Paul
Smriti
Vanisha Sher
 DECLARATION

We Ms./Mr. ________________, _______________________, __________________,

_________________ & _____________________ do here by solemnly affirms and declares
that all information and particulars furnished here by us are true and correct to the best of our
knowledge. The information derived from the literature has been duly acknowledged in the
text and a list of references provided. No part of this dissertation was presented or available at
any other document.

Date
12/12/2022 Signature of Concerned Faculty

Signature _____________________

Akshita Singh

Arushi Srivastava

Madhushika Paul

Smriti

Vanisha Sher
 TABLE OF CONTENT

SL. No. CONTENT PAGE No.

1. Introduction 1

2. Sustainable Practices 3

3. Work Ethics 4

4. Endeavours 5

5. Values 5

6. Embracing Circularity 6

7. Reviews 7

8. Making of an Icon 8

9. Suggestions 10

9. Bibliography 11

10. Annexures (i)

 1.THE SUMMER HOUSE

"There is a sense of simplicity and modern subtle detail in every design we create. We
believe in living beautifully, even when no one's watching."

1.1 INTRODUCTION

With no formal training in fashion or design, co-founders Shivangini Padhiyar and Rekha Datla came
together through a shared vision of conscious and ethical living. They believe pure is beautiful. The
duo collaborated to create The Summer House, a modern lifestyle brand with an emphasis on
handicraft and responsible techniques presented in contemporary aesthetics. They have made a choice
to question every process and explore better possibilities. They choose the alternative to the easy way
of sourcing materials.

Their inspiration comes from everyday life, Indian handcraft techniques that are otherwise dying with
generations, vintage design books and even fiction stories they grew up with. Sometimes even a line
from a story serves as a great starting point for a new edit.

The label sources eco- friendly fabrics from around India, such as organic cotton – all of it Global
Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified – and works with a Gujarat co-operative to spin the fibers
into yarn, which is then hand-woven into fabrics ranging from soft khadi to sturdy denim. It also
showcases India’s long heritage of hand weaving and printing techniques using local craftsmen to
create original, unexpected and timeless prints and designs.

Page No. 1
 1.2 BACKSTORY

When Indian entrepreneur Shivangini Parihar, launched The Summer House in 2012, she was
designing and producing homeware products to supply to stores and larger labels that included
U.K. based clothing and accessory brand Toast, and Indian chain retail store FabIndia.

Dismayed by the speedy pace of modern urban living, Parihar was nostalgic for the days she
remembered as a child spent on her family farm in small-town Gujarat. Though she was already
producing goods that were reminiscent of the simple, handcrafted, and high-quality goods of past
times, she knew she wanted to do something more.

Parihar started working with craftsmen to recapture that pace of life after moving to a big city to
take a job in advertising. She began by getting to know artisans in her area, something that she
says comes easily in small-town India. Her first offerings were actually housewares like cutting
boards and wooden bowls, which Parihar began selling to multimillion dollar retailer Fabindia.

Soon, she added hand-woven and -printed textiles, found another distributor through UK-based
retailer Toast and spent a year and a half traveling India with her then nine-month-old child to
continue connecting with and identifying the best local artisans.

When now-business partner and business head Rekha Datla joined in 2014, the two decided to
take the company into its own, creating a label that offered its customers sustainable, fair-trade
goods – but at a fraction of the cost a retail giant would charge.

Weavers in Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, and block printers in Karnataka
and Gujarat are all engaged to help create the fabrics. All clothing is made in the brand’s
Bangalore production studios, giving it full control over workmanship and added transparency in
the fashion cycle.

The brand has been at the forefront of sustainability and slow fashion in the country, but it was
an organic evolution that came from a pure desire to create in the right way. "When we started it,
we didn't know it was a sustainable brand, and since we didn't come from a traditional fashion
background, everything was based on research." recounts Padhiyar who worked in advertising

Page No. 2
 for nine years prior to founding The Summer House. "We just knew that it was the correct way
to do it. The clean way to do it. The brand became an extension of our own lifestyle and homes
where we implement similar practices to live as simply and organically as possible. Our purpose
was not to own a sustainable business but to own a good fashion business that caters to the needs
of women who dress a certain way and still want to express their appreciation for
craftsmanship."

The Summer House website was launched with its first collection in February 2015. All the
fabrics come from an environment that does not abuse the earth. All of their clothing is made in
their own production studio. Each edit they produce has a story, heart and uses responsible
processes and old -fashioned techniques to create products that will outlast the season. They
design and manufacture in small batches, keeping in mind ethical production, quality and
affordability. They have made a choice to be inclusive, fair and responsible.

When they started The Summer House, they did not know the impact of fashion on the world or
that sustainability would soon become the trend or buzzword. they simply did things the best
way they could, without cutting corners for the sake of profit. As people, they can’t imagine
doing something that is not right for the people who work with us, our planet or our customers.

2. SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

The more Shivani and Rekha learned, the more interested they were in sustainability and responsible
processes. There really was no strategy to get seeped into it, they kept asking questions and seeking
answers. Simple things like black dyes are most damaging to the earth (they only buy deadstock
black fabric if they need the color). Or that if you use handwoven cloth or eco-friendly colors or
fabrics but then transport it across various parts of the world in a conventional way,. Also, the fact
that cotton is actually quite damaging to the Earth. It is a thirsty crop that completely takes everything
out of the earth it grows on. Or the irony that we spend more time in closed spaces in clean clothes
but our detergents are getting harsher and have more chemicals than before when we were actually
working and playing outdoors. So many simple facts like these that help us function more sensibly.

Page No. 3
 They released their first swim line made out of Econyl, a fabric that is not only made responsibly but
actually helps clean up the oceans. Made from fishing nets and gear abandoned in oceans, this waste
is fished out, polymerized and converted to regenerated nylon yarn that is then made into fabric that
is beautiful and strong.

2.1 ECONYL

Their textiles come from all around the country. Their Khadi comes from Gujarat and Bengal, while
Econyl
Cotton, Organic Cotton and Linen come from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. They work with craft
clusters across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. For their much loved
Farmers Baskets, they worked with an NGO that employs women from underprivileged backgrounds.

Between concept, sampling and final prototype, their teams communicate with remote artisans on a
weekly basis. This process does take time and sometimes they even do face challenges with language
and meeting deadlines, but it is sheer joy to see the finished product in a modern design made using
traditional techniques by these skilled artisans. They celebrate their skill and contribution each year
through initiatives such as Fashion Revolution Week during the month of April.

3. WORK ETHIC

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.

Page No. 4
 3.1 ENDEAVORS

One of the first things they decided was to be a brand for people with taste, not necessarily just
money. So often they see something they love but don’t buy it because the pricing makes it feel like
an indulgence. They really believe in providing fabulous quality at a price that is viable for both us
and the consumer, which is why their prices range between INR 775 – 4000. They also work with
craftsmen and weavers directly so they avoid any expenses for middlemen here as well. The biggest
challenge has been in getting craftsmen to understand the quality they strive for and get them to
follow deadlines. This directly affects sampling time.

The brand is continuing to expand its international sales and hopes to put out tightly edited
collections as often as once a month in the future.

3.2 VALUE

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 their consumer knows why it is important to consume responsibly. Also, their 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.

Comfort and style go hand-in-hand at The Summer House. Crafted from luxury cottons, silks, khadi
and similar natural fabrics, with the presence of a range of free-flowing tops, checkered skirts made
with Chanderi silk, marbled silk capes, and bohemian dresses made from organic cotton. Keeping
things eco-friendly their denim clothes use recycled (denim) fabric, while handwoven, soft khadi
goes into making robes, and shirts. We can take these uncomplicated designs to bed as well with their
range of lightweight pajama sets and night shirts. Their denim paper bag skirt, and their dreamy khadi
dolman sleeve shirt; perfect for the summer.

The Summer House’s home and kitchen offerings- Intricately carved curtain holders and metal plant
baskets will give your home a cozy feel while your kitchen gets a rustic touch with plates and butter
dishes made with mango wood, and butter knives crafted from Indian rosewood.

Page No. 5
 Padhiyar shares, "Through the limited edition collection, we hope to allow people who truly
appreciate the craftsmanship and these stories to celebrate these women. We want to speak to the
bigger idea of championing women as women and honoring this sisterhood."

3.3 EMBRACING CIRCULARITY

Long before thrifting and upcycling became fashion buzzwords, our mothers and grandmothers were
transforming lehengas into kurtas and wearing second-hand clothes passed down within the family.
Now preloved fashion is a whole industry with a myriad of options and thrift stores to choose from.
Padhiyar and Datla and the duo behind the sustainable fashion startup Relove, Kirti Poonia and
Prateek Gupte remain trepidatious about the source of these "thrifted" finds as a lot of these allegedly
second-hand pieces come from export surplus. Relove was born out of this need to ensure
authenticity and close the gap between thrifting and fashion labels.

Poonia and Gupte aim to transform circular fashion in India through a new business model that
allows customers to resell directly on the brand website and elected The Summer House to be their
first partners. "When Kirti first came to me with this idea, I loved it and insisted that we should be the
first brand they collaborate with. The partnership just makes a lot of sense with our whole brand ethos
that centers on mindful and conscious fashion." Padhiyar says."So it started from there, and it's been a
learning experience with a lot of trial and error for both us and Relove. The whole idea is to have the
platform be accessible and to replicate the model across businesses in India, so it was great to be part
of the process, understand their thinking and smooth out any problems."

The Relove initiative is a perfect example of how The Summer House embraces sustainability in
fashion by extending the life cycle of the clothes that the customer has grown out of or is bored of
wearing by passing it along to their own customer base. While some fashion brands consider second-
hand clothing as competition, Padhiyar and Dalta are ahead of the curve and embrace the change.

Page No. 6
 3.4 REVIEWS

Based in tech-happy Bangalore, The Summer House is taking advantage of that opportunity by
creating their sustainable luxury apparel and home goods line as a niche business, using the internet
(e-commerce as well as social media) as a medium to grab attention. As a result the company has
increasingly found themselves being well noticed by media in India.

It's this dissonance that spurred Parihar to start The Summer House, an intentionally small-batch label
that marries ethical production, quality and affordability to a degree rarely seen in the fashion
industry.

“We work with craftsmen, not agents,” say Parihar and Datla.

“From consuming energy only as required, to using only biodegradable office wares, to putting
our scraps to good use, we are constantly attempting to make our workspace environmentally
responsible too,” says Datla. “For us being sustainable is not a marketing strategy, it is what we
are trying to apply in all aspects of our work and even in our homes.”

"We learned a lot about quality control and what really goes into making sure that it's the perfect
product," Parihar says of the two-and-a-half years that The Summer House existed primarily as a
supplier to bigger brands. But after meeting her now-business partner Rekha Datla and collecting
a little capital, Parihar decided to start a brand of her own.

That was the genesis of The Summer House as it exists today: an independent label that sells
home goods and clothing, both of which are marked by a romantically simple aesthetic, careful
craftsmanship and conscious production.

To protect a sense of uniqueness, The Summer House produces its pieces in extremely limited
quantities that are released as part of new collections every other month or so. Though it's a
small label, it has international fans so dedicated they'll buy every piece in a new collection
immediately after it comes out to ensure they don't miss anything.

Part of what inspires that kind of fandom is the brand's ability to marry price and quality. With
tops starting at $23 and dresses at $38 and construction that feels far sturdier than what you'd

Page No. 7
find at H&M or Zara, The Summer House is a no-brainer for fans. Its pricing structure was
inspired by brands like Everlane, which Parihar credits with giving her the confidence that it's
possible to run a profitable business model even while avoiding the industry's standard markups.
Cutting out a middleman also means that more of the money goes into the pockets of artisans,
too.

The Summer House's environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing is another draw
for customers. Since most conscious fashion offerings in India tend to have a boho or "Indo
Fusion" aesthetic, and The Summer House's Kinfolk-magazine-appropriate,
vintage-sewing-pattern-inspired look is a welcome alternative for those with a more globally
influenced aesthetic. Besides working with fairly paid artisans, The Summer House also relies on
organic raw materials, low-impact dyes (or none at all) and either handwoven or fair-trade
factory fabrics. The clothing is cut and sewn by an in-house team that works in the same airy
space that the founders use as an office and studio.

3.5 MAKING OF AN ICON

Playing on the idea of wearing your hero on a shirt and celebrating icons through clothing, the
brand released a limited edition collection aptly named 'The Icon Shirts 'that reimagines what
constitutes an icon. The shirts are made with handwoven and zero-dye fabric, with the self-
portraits of three artisans who work with the brand hand-embroidered on the back.

To Padhiyar, it is crucial to celebrate the women who create the garments, reiterating that these
craftsmen not only create art through their intricate offerings but are carrying craftsmanship
forward to the future. "At The Summer House, we don't look at artisans as vendors or suppliers
but more as partners; they deserve as much as the brand deserves. Everyone loves the clothes and
the kurtas they make. But nobody really knows these women. We realized that someone should
celebrate them too."

Page No. 8
 3.6 SUSTAINABLE LUXURY IN INDIA

What began as a simple ode to the old-world leisurely lifestyle that India once boasted, two
female entrepreneurs have turned into an enterprise that is testament to the power of the
country’s e-commerce market, when they decided to dip their toes into the business of selling
sustainable luxury.
“We design small, capsule collections so that we can focus on quality,” says Datla, “we save on
costs of middlemen and commission for retail stores so that our prices don’t pinch.”

Clothing in luxurious silks to handspun cottons average about $23, and the simple, clean lined
collections of both apparel and homewares can sell out within hours of going online.

Moreover, the duo source much of the fabric for their clothing line from the surplus stock of large
export houses, working to reduce their carbon footprint.

A recent denim collection was hand-woven by young craftswomen using organic cotton, water based
dyes, and less water than the usual chemical process requires. The women weavers were directly paid
fair wages, ensuring an all-too-common practice of child labor is avoided.

Social media posts depict the craftspeople and processes behind the manufacture of products –
making sure the company’s sustainable practices are entirely transparent. It’s more of a way of
thinking, say the duo, both mothers of small children and conscious of passing on a clean way of
living to the next generation.

Breezy, tropical and effortlessly chic, from artisan-made luxurious separates to zero-dye sleepwear,
The Summer House is one of India’s leading and most exportable sustainable fashion brands. Care is
taken with both human and environmental impact, a dual-pronged social and eco-driven approach to
each step of the fashion process that gives the label a wonderful appeal.

Collections are aptly named – Wonder Wander, The Flowers Will Return, Cherie and All White. The
aesthetic taps into a lightweight modernity alongside touches of traditional craft in the fabrics, some
abstract or minimal patterns, stripes and the serene range of hues. Silhouettes are blissfully airy.

The Summer House also has a House and Home section that works directly with craftsmen and
NGOs to ensure they benefit more directly from each sale, instead of masses of middlemen.
“Minimal, functional and hardworking are the three words that best describe our homeware,” says the

Page No. 9
brand, and the elegance and respect for natural materials is indicative of the quality of hand
craftsmanship and conscious design.

3.6.1 TENCEL MATERIAL

The Summer House’s delicate long dress is passionately crafted with tencel. Tencel has incredible
absorption characteristics: 50% more than cotton. Because it's more breathable and less susceptible to
odorous bacteria growth like environmentally-damaging synthetics, this fabric is ideal for activewear.
Made from eco-friendly fibers, the halter dress with soft gathers at the back is for the urban gipsy.
Each design differs from the other as the brand collaborates with clusters across India to produce
original textiles.

4. SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT

OF BUSINESS

After going through all the primary and secondary which we have collected, there are few
suggestions which we would like to highlight in these sections. There were very similar range
of collection available at the brand’s website so the Summer House needs to increase their
product categories. Since, the summer house targets mostly on sustainable clothing so they opt
for natural raw materials which are very limited so they should invest in research and
development more like hiring teams for the process.
Their competitors are fast fashion brands so they should spread awareness and promote their
products and brands more.

Page No. 10
 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

➢ ONLINE NEWSLETTER

❖ Whitney Bauck, “Nostalgia-fueled brand The Summer House makes ethically produced,
quality-focused clothing you can actually afford.” Retrieved from
https://fashionista.com/2017/06/the-summer-house-indian-ethical-fashion

❖ Zara Aftab, “An Ode To Icons And Preloved Clothing: The Summer House On Mindful
Fashion.” Retrieved from
https://www.grazia.co.in/fashion/an-ode-to-icons

❖ Jing Zhang, “The Summer House: India’s Leading Sustainable Fashion Brand.”
Retrieved from
https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/style/fashion/the-summer-house-indias-leading-
sustainable-fashion-brand/

❖ Ambika Behal, “How Two Entrepreneurs Found A Way To Sell Sustainable Luxury In
India, For Less.” Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/abehal/2015/07/27/how-two-entrepreneurs-found-a-way-to-
sell-sustainable-luxury-in-india-for-less/?sh=1cff72981188

➢ ONLINE WEBSITES
❖ Retrieved from Border and Fall website
https://www.borderandfall.com/the-summer-house/

❖ Retrieved from The Summer House website

https://www.platform-mag.com/fashion/the-summer-house.html

Page No. 11
 (i) Annexures

➢ Primary Data
Any suggestions for the brand "The Summer House".8 responses

1. The brand can go into more ranges of clothing and work on advertising
2. Add more different collection
3. Not a very recognized brand
4. Nothing
5. Would love to see how the products are made and the processes involved in
manufacturing them.
6. Reach out to the mass as much as you can
7. Spend some more budget in Marketing
8. Try new styles. very basic
THANK YOU