Written by: Willow Arthur
Willow Arthur is a student at NC State pursuing a degree in English: Language, Writing, and Rhetoric. She enjoys journalism, creative writing, and poetry – along with food, fashion, travel, and approximately 100 more interests that come to mind when attempting to choose a select few to list. She is the assistant literary editor of Windhover magazine and a weekly writer for the Odyssey at NCSU, while also doing creative work for Platform magazine. She is always open to opportunities to spread creativity and enjoyment through her writing! For all writing inquiries, please contact wsarthur@ncsu.edu.
Artwork by: Cara Garrison
Digital Illustration (of an original photograph) by Cara Garrison, Senior majoring in Poultry Science and minoring in Arts Entrepreneurship.
If interested in commissioning similar artwork, contact Cara Garrison at cgarris@ncsu.edu.
For many, our daily lives have been stuck on pause, routines reduced down to the washed-out glare of our computer screens. Room-bound getaways have stripped us of the sunny adrenaline of a new day – excitement and ardor lost in the pixels. But on one stale afternoon, the creators of Sani pressed play on a story of passion, dedication, and representation. Setting my computer screen ablaze in a brilliant array of vibrant colors, Niki and Ritika Shamdasani, the creators of Sani, brought a tidal wave of crimson culture to splash blue through the screen and show how a desire to bring South Asian cultural clothing to life in America blossomed into a thriving enterprise.
Three years ago, Niki and Ritika Shamdasani, sisters brimming with excitement for an upcoming wedding, began a process they knew all too well: traveling from city to city, sifting through racks of their cultural clothing only to find overly blinged-out, glittery designs indistinguishable from the next. As they pushed their way through hangers only to find garments that drained the excitement from their cheeks, a desire for South Asian cultural clothing that fit into an American lifestyle began to take root in their minds. They considered the widely sought-out alternate option: traveling to India themselves. But even then, the thought of older salesmen telling them what they looked good in and clothing designed for women living in India brought no hope to the sisters. They needed cultural clothing that could go from a traditional wedding to a modern gala — not exhausting shopping trips or cross-world travel. When they realized this desire was shared by the women around them, Niki and Ritika decided to be the ones to bring the solution home. To give women like them a chance to bear the beauty of their culture — to adorn themselves with the symbols of an identity worth showing off.
The identity these women wear so proudly is reflected in each complex detail of their clothing. Niki points out, “Oftentimes, people assume the sari represents all Indian or South Asian clothing. But saris are just the beginning.” They explain that while the sari is a popular style, and often the one seen representative of South Asian clothing in America, it only begins to reveal the depth of style and meaning found in this clothing. Each region of India, country of South Asia, style, fabric, design, and silhouette weave together to create a stunning piece of art to adorn each woman who wears it. With this passion to bring representation to their cultural clothing, Niki and Ritika made the decision to begin the journey creating Sani.
The Shamdasani sisters take a moment to explain the importance of their cultural clothing, the reasons they felt so driven to create an opportunity for women of their culture to have these garments accessible. They drew in satisfied breaths to explain how this clothing is their tie to where their families grew up, their tie to the events and customs of their culture. Heads lifted as they proclaimed, “It is the way we show this unique part of who we are.”
Ritika, a current student at NC State, leans toward the camera to say that yes, running a business while in college is difficult; however, the resources available to them make everything worth it. She smiles gratefully as she exclaims that just within her first year, she was introduced to the entrepreneurship department, AWE, and a multitude of experienced contacts who have worked to help Sani grow. “I believe Sani has benefited immensely from my time at State — as I learn, so does the team.” Ritika beams as she says, “This is what school is about — taking the lessons you learn and applying them to your world.”
Niki, eyes glistening with pride for her younger sister and the enterprise they’ve built together, begins to share her story of starting Sani as a recent college graduate from the University of North Carolina. While working for a startup accelerator in NYC, she felt that she had gotten so wrapped up in the dedication of performing the job well, she lost sight of what it meant to be a student. The drive to network, the motivation to learn and grow outside of her comfort zone. The passion to build. During the beginning of Sani, she found herself repeating what had made her feel stuck before — honing in on the job performance and forgetting the passion. It was in this snowball that Niki stuck a hand out to say, “My age or graduation date does not mean I’m no longer a student.” With rising enthusiasm she exclaims, “Sani reminded me of the importance of being curious and innovative, constantly networking, learning, growing.” Being a student for both herself and Sani — reminding herself that you are always a student when you give yourself room to grow.
The Shamdasani sisters take a moment to reflect on the hardships faced during the growth of Sani, admitting their fiercest challenger has been the comparison game. “When we first started trying to grow Sani, it felt as though we were surrounded by overnight, Instagram-worthy success stories.” The intense influence of social media as a way to flaunt “success” gave way to sparkling, packaged business stories that made the creators of Sani believe they may be doing something wrong to not have the same. Feeling alone in their struggles, the sisters claimed they even began to stray from their values in an attempt to reach that success. However, when it became clear that profiles didn’t shine as brightly up close, Niki and Ritika stepped back to try and understand what went wrong. When they realized their desire to follow their competitor’s success had led them on a path away from their values, they stopped in the road to remember, “We were the Indian women who didn’t see ourselves, or our culture, growing up. We wanted South Asian fashion to be more visible in mainstream fashion. We wanted to show women like us they are not alone.” And with a resurgence of passion for themselves and their culture, the Shamdasani sisters buckled down to find success on their own. Refusing to let the comparison game define their strategies and values, Niki and Ritia focused on bringing representation to all that made their culture great. Fashion shows, dance teams, food, music — entire experiences designed to show the beauty of South Asian culture.
This challenge proved to be their greatest lesson, one that lit a fire to reach out to Rent the Runway. In February, Sani announced a launch with the well-known designer rental service. Radiating excitement, the sisters exclaim, “This is why we started Sani.” The community rose up in support for Sani, the launch even gaining attention from actress and producer Mindy Kaling, who expressed her admiration for the brand bringing light to South Asian fashion. The launch was something Niki and Ritika had been working towards for over a year, and to see it fulfilled made every lost moment nothing but a stair to the top.
Through these moments and more, it is the vision of their culture finally getting a spotlight that keeps the Shamdasani sisters going. But passion can’t always stand up to everything, and for that, the sisters have their family. Smiling with gratitude, they say, “We are really fortunate to have business owners, starting when they came to the U.S, walking through this journey with us.” Niki and Ritika explain that their family understands what it is to build from the ground up, and they have been there every time to remind the girls they are not alone. “They’ve helped us realize the struggles we are going through are normal and resolvable. Whether it comes from 15 years ago or last week, they have the experience and knowledge to show us these things are just a part of doing your own thing, running your own business — just a part of life.”
When asked what is next for Sani, the Shamdasani sisters explain how, with COVID severely impacting their India-based manufacturing, they are using the experience to grow, learn, and focus on the core aspects of their business. “We are taking it day by day, focusing on our website, branding, manufacturing partners, product categories — whatever we can strengthen.” This ability to pivot their focus has solidified the sisters’ belief that “diversification is key.” During the beginning of COVID, this was a looming challenge. They weren’t sure how to diversify without seeming unfocused or disconnected from their values. But the sisters worked to think about how their mission could fit into the times. Selling occasion wear during a time of no occasions would cause anyone to feel like they are living in uncertainty. However, for the creators of Sani, it is a time to refocus, relearn, and reapply their mission to now. Forever-students learning how to use their passion and drive to succeed.
This attention to diversification, and the ability to pivot, is one of the pieces of advice they would give to young entrepreneurs, along with the reassurance that “You are never alone, and nothing you are going through (or will go through) are things only you have to deal with. However, something that is meant-to-be doesn’t mean it is something that is going to be easy. Challenges, things out of your comfort zone, they are all inherent in what you are pursuing.” The sisters share a knowing glance as they give advice for the same fears they once faced. But, as they explained, the bumps in the road aren’t mountains, and even if they are, you can climb them.
This appreciation for the journey has led Niki and Ritika Shamdasani to find peace in the adventure of their brand. “It’s okay to not have everything figured out. It’s always changing, but that is what makes it fun.” A lesson not only on entrepreneurship, but on coping with the uncertainties that surround us all. It is with this message that the Shamdasani sisters have created a brand of empowerment and representation. A brand that holds their mission so dear that it flows in the colors that surround the women whose identity shine above it all. A brand that wants nothing more than for those women to know they are seen, appreciated, and beautiful. A brand of Indian and South Asian culture: Sani.
Sani Design Website, Facebook, Instagram
Written by: Willow Arthur
Willow Arthur is a student at NC State pursuing a degree in English: Language, Writing, and Rhetoric. She enjoys journalism, creative writing, and poetry – along with food, fashion, travel, and approximately 100 more interests that come to mind when attempting to choose a select few to list. She is the assistant literary editor of Windhover magazine and a weekly writer for the Odyssey at NCSU, while also doing creative work for Platform magazine. She is always open to opportunities to spread creativity and enjoyment through her writing! For all writing inquiries, please contact wsarthur@ncsu.edu.
Artwork by: Cara Garrison
Artwork by Cara Garrison, Senior majoring in Poultry Science and minoring in Arts Entrepreneurship.
If interested in commissioning similar artwork, contact Cara Garrison at cgarris@ncsu.edu.