During the gap between the second and third waves of the pandemic, Shivangini Padhiyar, the creative force behind Bengaluru-based label The Summer House, noticed that her social media was filled with posts of people holidaying in the Maldives. “I remember thinking, before long, people will want to move away from the beaches to jungles and mountains,” she recalls, and adds that the inspiration for her Spring Summer ’22 collection Safari stemmed from this insight. And sure enough, a few months down the line, post the short-lived surge of Covid cases in January, Shivangini and her business partner, Rekha Datla, were pleased to note that their ‘holiday forecast’ turned out to be right.
Unveiled two weeks ago, Safari features a number of unique offerings. For starters, there’s a heavy use of linen, which is quite rare for the label. Secondly, it comprises a handful of co-ord sets, something they’ve not fully explored before. “Whether it’s for a vacation or even a regular day, co-ord sets are great for when you don’t want to think about what to pair together. It also offers the opportunity to mix and match, which means you can wear each piece in many different ways. Our sets are all very modern, minimal and pared down, but we’ve also added little touches that make them unique,” explains Shivangini. For instance, the Tswalu set comprises a classic blazer and bermuda shorts. The blazer features an adjustable sash and welt pockets, while the bermudas have single knife pleats on each side. Then, there’s the striped green Agam set — kurta style top with box pleats at the back and mandarin collar, paired with wide leg pants. “We’ve gone for clean, classic safari looks. And the pieces are very easy to dress up with the right accessories,” she shares, and adds that it is important to store linen the right way. “When you let them hang in your closet instead of keeping them folded, they’re easier to press. All natural fabrics wrinkle easily and I think it’s totally fine to have a few creases,” she says.
Apart from the co-ord sets, some of the other interesting picks from the collection include the Azizi safari jacket (made from zero-dye denim with epaulets, patch pockets and a drawstring at the waist), the Nafasi dress (a brown button down shift with slits on the slides) and the Zuri top (blue gingham number in bandeau style).
While the duo does not have a retail space of their own, their Jayanagar studio has been drawing attention lately. “For some reason we have been seeing a lot of walk-ins at the studio. They come in, try on the clothes and see how we work. It’s nice to interact with our customers face to face,” says Shivangini, who is currently working on a collection featuring handblock prints from Rajasthan. “We also have an ikat collection coming up this year. That’s an interesting challenge we’re looking forward to,” she shares, signing off.
Rs.3,200 upwards. Available online