GOA, India — Resortwear has become a buzzword in Indian fashion this year. And Indian companies are putting their money where their mouths are, with a new resort fashion week here earlier this month that is giving the category a major push.
Among those showing collections during the week were designers James Ferreira, Narendra Kumar, Manish Malhotra and Shantanu & Nikhil. Kumar observed, “What most Indian women wear in cities is really resortwear — loose and more comfortable styles with breathable fabric — so the fashion week of this theme is really catering to women in our cities. More people are going for resort holidays, and they are looking for stylish options. What better place to showcase them?”
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The concept of showing resortwear is not new. Lakme Fashion Week, which is held twice a year in Mumbai, changed its focus in March 2009 to focus on resortwear too. But designers showing in Goa agreed that showing resortwear in a resort location makes sense, because the clothes can immediately be envisioned on the beach or at the pool.
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Sponsors of the week included Mumbai-based Ink Infrastructure and apparel retail brand Provogue, and designers said that if they followed up with the same level of commitment the event could be a real draw for business.
“I came to take a look at what was going on,” said Marwa Zamaray, a European buyer based in the Netherlands who attended the event. “But I changed my mind. I’m looking at it as real business now and am talking to designers to see who can deliver the numbers we need.”
She said that she was inspired by the designs of Ferreira, whose show on opening night was followed the next day by Shivan & Narresh and several others.
“We have 163 shop-in-shops, and our online store is very big in Europe,” said Zamaray. “For me, the designs here were all about out-of-the box thinking. Europe is very creative, but a lot of the designs look the same. It’s important to step out of our comfort zone, and we’re looking at India for the sheer variety. India is getting much better than China in terms of both style and quality.”
Although some designers, like Ken Ferns, showed off styles in elegant creams, much of the event was about vibrant colors and detailing. Sequins continued to be important, and Swarovski crystals were rampant, even on bikinis and other swimwear.
Shalini Chuganee, chief operating officer of the event, said that the intention was to “bring Indian resortwear onto the global fashion map.”
Shivan & Narresh, Delhi-based designers who focus on premium swimwear and whose label is a little more than three years old, were a highlight of the event. As Shivan Bhatiya explained, “We cater to tastes that are specific; for example, the North Indian woman does not like the kind of bikini cuts sold in the West; they like to be more covered. We plan for that. Also, the buyers from Delhi like to show more of their back, while those from Bombay are okay with normal bikinis.”
Siddhartth Mahajan, communications executive for the duo, who also showed at Miami Fashion Week, commented that the Indian market has become “quite adventurous. India is overall a resort country, and the styles and our customized swimsuits for the luxury market emphasize cut, color, comfort and construction.”
Narendra Kumar showed an all-organic collection made of fabric dyed and colored only by flowers and herbs collected from temples. Called “Osonai,” which means “offering to the gods” in Japanese, the collection was in pastel shades like pale peach, pink and green.
The last two shows, on a ramp set up at the beach, were Shantanu & Nikhil and Manish Malhotra, who created a sense of grandeur, swirl and movement at the grand finale with sheer long dresses with bikini tops and cropped pants and a variety of unusual cuts for trousers and jackets for men.
Designer Tarun Tahiliani, who did not show at the event, nonetheless expressed the climate for resortwear succinctly. “As Indians, we already have a natural affinity for clothes with color and draping, and these elements naturally lend themselves to what the Western world classifies as ‘resort,’ ” he said. He made the same point as Kumar, which is that the tropical climate in India is such that “people usually stick to resort or summer clothing year-round,” and in both resort areas and major cities.