The Comfort of BecomingMahi Mohan on reimagining activewear, designing for the Indian woman, and building Sawsee around the feeling of being truly comfortable in one’s own skin.
An intimate conversation with Priya Lalwani, Founder & Editor, The Mauve
There is a quiet confidence in a woman who feels entirely at ease with herself. It is not always loud or performative; sometimes, it begins with something as simple as what she chooses to wear.
For Mahi Mohan, Founder of Sawsee, that feeling became the starting point for a brand. Having spent years in the world of fitness and wellness, she understood movement—but she also understood the small discomforts that could interrupt it. The search for activewear that felt good, fit thoughtfully and moved beyond the gym eventually became the foundation of Sawsee.
Today, the brand is shaping a more considered idea of everyday dressing: pieces designed for movement, moments of pause and everything in between. In conversation with Priya Lalwani, Mahi reflects on the personal frustration that sparked Sawsee, the nuances of designing for Indian women, and why comfort may be one of fashion’s most powerful forms of confidence.
A Feeling, First
Priya Lalwani: Sawsee is still a young brand, but it already has a clear point of view. What was the feeling or frustration that first made you want to build it?
Mahi Mohan: Before Sawsee, I was working as a fitness coach and nutrition consultant, and I had also run a diet and health-food restaurant. I was always around wellness and movement. But when it came to activewear, I found myself repeatedly reaching for the same few sets because they were the only ones I felt comfortable in.
I wanted clothing that could work for a workout, but also for the rest of my day. Something that felt good on the body, looked considered and didn’t make me feel like I had to change my entire wardrobe just because I was stepping out of the gym.
That personal frustration became the beginning of Sawsee.
Beyond the Workout
Priya: You describe Sawsee as everyday functional wear rather than simply activewear. What does that distinction mean to you?
Mahi: Activewear is often associated with a specific activity—going to the gym, running or doing yoga. We wanted to create pieces that could move across different parts of a woman’s day.
You might wear them for yoga, for a workout, while travelling, lounging at home or stepping out casually. The idea is to make clothing that feels versatile without losing its functionality.
Our core is rooted in pieces that are comfortable and useful, while we also introduce silhouettes that bring in a little more style and personality.
Designed for Her
Priya: When you design for Indian women, what are some of the details that become especially important?
Mahi: Indian women have different body proportions, heights and preferences. Fit cannot be approached as though every woman is built the same way.
We pay attention to things like bust and hip proportions, strap adjustability, waistband comfort, neckline preferences and the length of shorts. Even details such as built-in padding matter. Some women prefer padding that stays in place rather than removable inserts.
Customer feedback has been incredibly valuable. It helps us understand what women actually want from their clothes, beyond what might look good in a photograph.
The Fabric of Comfort
Priya: Sawsee’s approach to fabric feels quite considered. How much of the design process begins with the material itself?
Mahi: A lot of it begins with fabric. We have worked on developing materials, colours and blends from the ground up, because we want the fabric to serve the purpose of the garment.
Different activities call for different properties. Cotton and bamboo-based fabrics can offer a softer, more breathable experience for certain activities, while technical synthetics have their place when performance is the priority.
We have explored blends such as bamboo and cotton for yoga wear. The idea is not to follow one fabric philosophy blindly, but to understand what feels right for the woman wearing it.
Colour as a Point of View
Priya: Sawsee has a distinctive colour language. What role does colour play in how you want the brand to feel?
Mahi: Colour is one of the ways we express the personality of the brand. We wanted to move beyond the usual palette associated with activewear and create shades that feel fresh and recognisable.
Developing certain colours requires working closely with the fabric itself, but it is worth it when the result feels unique to us.
We want women to feel a little more playful in what they wear. Comfort can create that freedom.
The Confidence to Move
Priya: You’ve spoken about clothing as something that can influence how a woman feels. What does confidence look like in the world of Sawsee?
Mahi: I think when a woman is comfortable, she becomes more herself. She is not constantly adjusting her clothes or thinking about how she looks from every angle. She can focus on what she is doing and how she feels.
That is the idea behind what we sometimes think of as “playwear”—clothing that lets women feel relaxed, confident and expressive.
For us, it is not only about how a garment looks. It is about how she feels when she wears it.
Made with Intention
Priya: How important is local manufacturing and sustainability to the way Sawsee is growing?
Mahi: We work with Indian manufacturing wherever the capabilities and quality meet what we need. Some technical fabrics still require capabilities that are more readily available elsewhere, but we are always exploring how to bring more of the process closer to home.
We have also taken steps such as using recycled plastic packaging and working with manufacturing facilities that recycle water. There is more we want to do as we grow, but it is important that these decisions are thoughtful and practical.
Building with Curiosity
Priya: You came into fashion from fitness and wellness. Has being new to the industry shaped the way you build the brand?
Mahi: I think it has made me curious. I ask a lot of questions and I’m willing to learn. There are people with years of experience in this industry, and working with them has been important.
At the same time, coming from wellness gave me a different lens. I was thinking about how clothing supports movement, comfort and everyday life—not only about fashion trends.
What Comes Next
Priya: What can women look forward to from Sawsee?
Mahi: We are continuing to work on new products, fabrics and silhouettes. We are especially excited about exploring more natural-fibre options, including cotton yoga wear.
We want to keep listening to our customers and building pieces that respond to their lives. Growth is important, but so is staying close to the reason we started.
The Mauve Note
Perhaps the most compelling thing about Sawsee is its belief that feeling good in what you wear need not be reserved for the moments when you are working out. It can accompany the ordinary rhythms of a day—movement, rest, errands, travel and everything that happens between them.
For Mahi Mohan, the future of activewear is not simply about doing more. It is about feeling more at ease while doing it.
And sometimes, that is where confidence begins.
