Why I Named My Brand Summer

Why I Named My Brand Summer (And What Happens in Winter)

One of the questions I am asked most often is, “Why did you name your brand Summer?” And then, almost inevitably: “But what do you do during winter?” The truth is, Summer was never just about a season. It was always about a feeling.

Of course, I have always loved summers for the obvious reasons—the warm weather, the sunshine, and the long days that seem to stretch endlessly before you.

But what I love most is the nostalgia that summer carries. For those of us who grew up in India in the 1990s, summer was not about the beaches of Saint-Tropez or trying matcha ice creams in Tokyo.

It was about spending long holidays with your cousins, most often at your nani’s house. It meant arriving after a long train or car journey and stepping into a home filled with the comforting smells of mangoes, talcum powder, and freshly laundered cotton—a home that felt grander than any hotel, not because it was extravagant, but because it was beautifully kept and because, within its walls, you were deeply cared for.

There were sprawling gardens curated by your nani herself, with towering bougainvillea forming a vivid pink backdrop to your childhood. It meant seeing your nani in crisp handloom saris and perfectly starched cottons, changing three times a day, each pleat immaculate, her bun perfectly intact—elegant, practical, and impossibly graceful.

It meant being served slices of chilled mangoes and glasses of Rooh Afza, while she affectionately avoided your sticky hugs. It meant running barefoot through those gardens with your cousins, playing with the garden hose until dusk.

It meant unlimited ice creams and absolutely no conversations about calories. It meant entire days spent laughing, fighting, making up, and creating memories so vivid that they did not need to be photographed to endure.

It was cousins, card games, shared bedrooms, and the rare privilege of being completely taken care of, without a worry in the world. There were no itineraries. No curated experiences. No need to document every moment. There was only family, Warmth, Abundance, Ease. And that rare, beautiful privilege of feeling completely cared for.

That, to me, is what summer means. Not merely sunshine, but softness. Not heat, but hospitality. Not merely a season, but a state of being. It is a world where dressing up was part of everyday life, not because there was an audience, but because beauty itself was worth honoring.

A world where celebrations were spontaneous, friendships were lived rather than curated, and elegance was second nature.

Today, in a world where it can feel difficult to get out of pajamas, where birthdays are remembered only because social media reminds us, and where every occasion seems to require a photograph, we have lost some of that effortless joy.

Summer seeks to bring it back. The joy of dressing up just for yourself. The pleasure of looking beautiful even when no one is watching. The luxury of having more fun than you planned for. The romance of turning ordinary days into small celebrations.

When I created Summer, this was the feeling I wanted to preserve. Each piece is designed to evoke nostalgia, femininity, and understated luxury. The romantic silhouettes, intricate embroideries, and handcrafted details are my way of translating those treasured memories into clothing.

In many ways, the brand could just as easily have been called An Indian Summer. Because it is inspired by that uniquely Indian experience of long holidays spent in homes overflowing with cousins, delicious food, laughter, and unconditional love.

It is about the effortless grace of our mothers and grandmothers, and the youthful glamour of our aunts and older cousins—whose mixtapes we played on repeat, whose posters adorned our walls, and whose clothes and shoes we tried on with our little feet.

It is about the warmth of family and the beauty of traditions passed down quietly through generations. It is about luxury that is emotional, not ostentatious.

So what do we do in winter? The same thing we do in summer. We create clothing that evokes warmth. We celebrate memory, romance, and timeless elegance. Because Summer was never tied to a calendar. It is a feeling you carry with you throughout the year.

And if we have done our job well, when a woman wears Summer, she feels as though she has stepped into a cherished memory— into a slower, softer, more beautiful world— into the endless warmth of a perfect Indian summer.