The Art of Slow Made with Shivangini of The Summer House
photo@Sagar Kale muse Priyanka Kumari—source the art of slow made by The Summer House
Viareggio wearing one of my favorite dresses from The Summer House
[Series] On Slow Living #10
January 26, 2025
I used to love this online blog called Design Sponge, run by the still amazing Grace Bonney. It was all things design, arts, interiors, small business, fashion, craft, etc. It had a good run, 15 years I think. It has since closed. Been taken offline, whatever we call it nowadays. Back when I was actively reading everything they published, I came upon an interview of the two women behind The Summer House.
I remember it like it was yesterday—their effervescent joy of being in a publication they too adored, their perspectives on living, the business of creating a slow and sustainable clothing line, and truly showcasing the materials, designers, and artisans of India. Alongside the editorial there was a picture of them in their studio, one in a beautiful silk dyed dress, part of that year's collection, the other in a crisp blouse. At the time of the post they were small, having just recently launched yet were steadily growing both in India and around the world.
I’ve often thought that if or when I ever open my own brick and mortar boutique that they would be one of the lines I would carry. Despite their growth over the last decade, expanding their artisan base, their collections, and their devoted audience, (myself being one of them), they’ve remained rooted in mindful consumption, sisterhood, and the art of slow made. The few pieces that I have from The Summer House truly reflect their love and care.
When I was transitioning away from Banyan Botanicals, a company I was with for almost a decade, I reached out to them. She and Rekha were incredibly generous with their time and insights—helpful, honest, and transparent. Building my own business took a leap of faith. It also has taken tremendous patience. With each iteration I learn, adapt, and grow. But I’ve never forgotten the emails, even the phone calls and how much they helped and clarified so many of my initial questions. It reinforced how appreciative I am when people are kind and generous with the information they know and experiences they’ve had. We spoke of website platforms, supply chains, fabrics, even strategy. There can be a great deal of secrecy around all of these topics. For reasons I still don’t understand having worked laterally in the products industry. However, between us, there was nothing to hide.
Shivangini, in a recent TSH newsletter, shared something I found fitting. There is choice and agency—will to change. What emerges are parts of self one may not know otherwise. Clear. Resonant. She deleted her personal instagram account and left the circus for a year.
A perverse myth had seeped into my reality that worth is measured by our scope of influence. A consequence of being chronically online is that even the most well balanced (and I ain't anywhere close) of minds can be disillusioned into thinking they matter, or rather, should matter. Don't get me wrong. I love the internet, and sometimes I even like Instagram. But I know that it no longer serves me. It isn't designed to inspire anymore, simply to keep us scrolling. So the year long break was a fantastic reset. Now that I am back on Instagram, it doesn’t impress me much. It simply serves as a reminder that a quiet life has value too.
I couldn’t have said it any better myself.
Thank you Shivangini
Yours, Erin
What does slow living mean to you?
Slow living, for me personally, means living with kindness as central to your being. Kindness in action towards nature, towards family, towards people. This discourages me from taking shortcuts to save time or gain at the cost of someone or something else. Whether it's cooking three meals a day from scratch for my kid or choosing handwoven materials over synthetic materials at work, slow living is about taking the time to do what is intentionally mindful, given your circumstances.
What's one thing (action, mindset, ritual, habit, etc.) that's essential to maintaining it in your day to day life?
Planning in advance. I am google-sheet lover. When you are committed to slow living, one of the biggest deterrents is, well, time. Keeping a schedule and planning things allows you time for thought and required action.
How do you ensure that a little bit of wildness and or nature remains close?
I live in one of the busiest cities in the world, a far cry from the small village where my parents continue to live and the hill station where I went to boarding school. Staying close to nature is tough, but I make it a point to go for a walk to the beach 3-4 times a week, and catch the sunrise or sunset from there. I love gardening and raising saplings from seeds of all kinds of fruits - chikoos, mangoes, lemons, pomegranates, even avocado. Once they are too big for the balcony, I send them to my village where they are planted in the earth. And then of course our many trips out of the city to the forests and national parks of India.