Ritika Shamdasani shares the honor with her older sister, Niki. The two are co-founders of Sani<\/a>, a South Asian-inspired formalwear and loungewear brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of our goals for Sani has always been to make South Asian clothing a part of mainstream fashion. We want our clothing on mainstream platforms and widely recognized by everyone, not just South Asians,\u201d Ritika says. \u201cWe want people to know there is much more to South Asian clothing than a saree.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neither of the siblings envisioned themselves leading a quickly growing fashion brand celebrated by Mindy Kaling and other celebrities. In fact, Ritika first enrolled at NC State intending to major in computer science. Now she\u2019s a senior in the Wilson College\u2019s fashion and textile management program, concentrating in fashion development and product management<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a problem-solving mindset, not a dream of becoming a fashion designer, that led the Shamdasanis to found Sani. The sisters found it nearly impossible to find attire to wear for an upcoming Indian wedding in the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The two spent the summer coming up with a solution. They tested 15 pieces, did some research, and found there was immense demand for these products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat we ended up realizing is a lot of first-and-second-generation South Asian Americans were settling for a subpar experience and subpar designs,\u201d Ritika says. \u201cIn fact, 82% of them waited to go abroad to shop for their cultural clothing, but they would spend on average, like $315 a year on this type of attire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They took that as a sign and continued to grow. In 2020, they became the first South Asian brand to sell apparel on Rent the Runway. Their products sold out within 48 hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the pandemic hit, and like the rest of the business world, they were forced to pivot, so they went to Tik Tok. There, they found a community of over 100,000 people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey really wanted to participate in the culture in a way that no fashion brand had let them because you only really wear like Indian clothes to an Indian wedding, but there wasn’t a fashion brand that was bringing that South Asian influence into everyday clothes,\u201d Ritika says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Through this social media initiative, they not only formed a greater connection with their customers, but also expanded their brand into loungewear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis loungewear was inspired by a Sangeet, which was part of an Indian wedding, and it had embroidered motifs on it,\u201d Ritika says. \u201cEvery batch we have released has sold out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another way Ritika and Niki decided to adapt during the pandemic was by using the \u201cdown time\u201d to build new skills. They enrolled in the Andrews Launch Accelerator<\/a>, part of the Poole College of Management<\/a>, in 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThroughout that program, I really appreciated the focus on fundamentals,\u201d Ritika says. \u201cFocus on the core of what makes up your business before thinking too broadly about the future because the future continuously changes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nApplying Think and Do to the Fashion World <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Using NC State Resources to Expand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n