A model in a Shivan & Narresh creation at the Lakme Fashion Week in March. Picture by Pabitra Das

Their creations have been worn by some of the best bodies across the globe (read Padma Lakshmi, Fergie and Nicki Minaj). This weekend, Delhi-based swimwear designers Shivan and Narresh made waves in Miami — showcasing the Mosaic line at the Swimwear Association of Florida’s SwimShow and the Handcraft collection at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week SWIM. A t2 chat with Shivan...

How does it feel to showcase at SwimShow?

It feels very good. (Laughs.) We are probably the first ones to represent India in swimwear; we should be able to open up the Indian swimwear market after this.

How did it come through?

Last year when we took part in Lakme Fashion Week, Swimwear Association of Florida said they really liked our collection and wanted us to take part in Miami for the trade show. Last year, we felt, was too early for us to participate. This year when they invited us again, we decided to go.

What’s the collection all about?

It’s called Mosaic, our Spring Summer 2012 collection which you will see at Lakme (Fashion Week) in February-March next year. Mosaic takes inspiration from the technique of mosaic, which is putting together elements that are very geometric in shape but are not necessarily about symmetry. Colour blocking is going to be predominant. This kind of colour panelling, we feel, will work very well for the Indian woman. The collection has about 75-80 pieces.

For the Handcraft collection, we felt why not introduce crafts and handwork in swimwear since India is known for it. This collection uses a technologically-advanced fabric, which is resistant to UV rays, chlorine, sunscreen, all kinds of oil and sand. We wanted to offer something that is more than just fashion and aesthetics. It is a performance-wear product. There’s a lot of drapes, embellishments, braiding and colour blocking. Right from the time of ordering, it has to be fitted on the body. That makes it extremely exclusive.

When you came to India from Italy, did you think there was a market for a swimwear brand?

This was something we were passionate about and were doing in Italy. We came back to India because our parents were here. And we realised there’s a huge sleeping market here. You tend to indulge in resort wear as it is largely a resort country. You have to give a woman something to wear on top of the swimsuit or pair with the swimsuit. And that is when it all started to take shape. Today when we design a collection, the idea is to do a complete wardrobe for a woman on vacation. So, it is not just about the bathing suit, but the trouser, cover-up shirt, sarongs, kaftans, accessories and beach bags.

How has the experience been?

We have handled women who haven’t swum in 20 years because they could not wear the swimwear styles their daughters were wearing to the pool. They are also apprehensive about body marks and scars. They had stopped indulging in any kind of recreational activity around water only because they did not know what to wear. We started to realise that we were not even addressing a fashion issue, but a confidence issue. Once we started catering to that, the creative satisfaction was a lot more than just doing fashion.

When we started out in India, everybody told us we were stupid and that it was not going to work out. Lakme has supported us in this. It’s been three seasons now and we are already selling out of 14 stores in six cities! I am amazed at how Indians are open to this market. It is just that no one was catering to it. Swimwear and lingerie are still two of the topmost things on every woman’s shopping list when she is travelling abroad.

What kind of designs work for India?

Indians can be very risk-taking when it comes to designs and aesthetics. The only thing you need to address is the confidence issue. Indian women have some of the best curves in the world but they still hide themselves behind layers and layers of clothing. As long as it is in sync with their cultural DNA, they can wear bold colours or daring silhouettes. That’s what we are trying to do.