For two people who got into fights and had to be restrained by their harried professors, it’s a wonder Shivan and Narresh have managed to work together to create one of the most successful and luxurious swimwear labels. “We got into fist fights when we were in NIFT Delhi. There was so much to fight about,” laughs Shivan Bhatiya. Opposites attract and therefore these two young men with a penchant for design but strikingly different sensibilities realised why they click together as a team. “We are individuals with our own take on design. If it has to boil down to one thing we go back and forth disagreeing and then agreeing. In fact we last fought just two days ago,” smiles Narresh Kukreja. That was while trying to come to a consensus on what print to go with for the collection that they are to showcase at the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) next month. As of now, it’s a hung decision, with one wanting leaves, and the other, vegetable prints. “We have different skill sets. If we were to do this by ourselves I don’t think we would be where we are today. You can see the result of good work that comes from sacrificing egos,” says Narresh.
While in NIFT they applied for the Italian international swimwear contest and their entry won. It had bright fuchsia prints with a very daring cut. The jury believed that the duo was strong with colours, an advantage that comes from living in India. “We grew up with all these hues around us. That’s something unexplored by European designers,” says 29-year-old Narresh. In return, they won scholarships to study in Italy where Shivan studied fashion and textile and Narresh studied luxury marketing and management. And in 2008 their eponymous label was launched in Cannes.
“There was the need for a global luxury brand coming out of India. We thought of swimwear,” says 30-year-old Shivan. And in 2010 they made their India debut with LFW. And what followed was the opening of a spate of outlets in Delhi, Bangalore and Goa with a burgeoning client list including Dita Von Teese, Nicki Minaj, Padma Lakshmi, Sonam Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Shraddha Kapoor. And it’s doesn’t end with the celebrities. “Women are tired of trying to hide their curvaceous bodies and their scars. There is a larger purpose to our work than just designing pretty clothes. We sell body confidence, not just fashion.”
Seeking this comfort and confidence are women not just from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata but also tier-II cities such as Nagpur, Raipur, Surat and Ahmedabad… The designers periodically plan visits to these smaller cities to cater to their clientele there. Since these cities lack ample places to go to, their clients organise get-togethers with themes where all the guests wear designer clothes,” they say. A fish-cut neoprene gown studded with stones that costs around Rs. 4 lakhs is also a hit in these cities. Raipur and Nagpur are also the ones that readily experiment. The now popular neoprene lehengas and gowns that are part of the designers resort-wear collection was what ladies in the metropolis were apprehensive about. “They said it’ll be hot, but the moment we introduced it to these cities, the women bought it,” says Narresh.
Apart from actors, Bollywood films too have experienced the Shivan and Narresh touch. Their first design break in films came with Life of Pi, where they created vintage swimming costumes. And recently the two have finished work on Bombay Velvet . They have designed Anushka Sharma’s swimwear for the film which depicts the bold Parsi women of Bombay in the 1960s. “It’s amazing how much we have come-of-age in Bollywood. Some of the biggest directors actually spend quite a lot of time in specifying what costumes the actresses should wear. It’s a great time to be in designing,” smiles Narresh.
