Designer duo Narresh and Shrivan, who specialise in customised beachwear, feel that Indian women are at a loss when it comes to lingerie or swimwear shopping as there is no sizing chart available to suit their body type.
"The irony is that the most Indian designers make clothes in the UK or US measurements because that is the way it is taught in our fashion schools. We can't blame them but the problem is that till today no one has bothered to make a size chart for Indian women," Narresh Kukreja said in an interview.
"As a result, Indian women are very bad lingerie and swimwear shoppers because nothing is made according to their body type. No one is educating them about this and hence they lack confidence," he said.
The designers showcased their resort collection at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week recently.
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) alumni, Narresh and Shrivan, started working together in 2004. After graduating from NIFT in 2007, they got a scholarship to do their masters from Fashion & Textiles and Luxury Marketing from Istituto Europeo di Design, Milan and Rome respectively.
After finishing their masters, they launched their label Shrivannarresh at Cannes in 2008 and they shifted base to New Delhi in 2009.
As they specialise in beachwear, the duo wanted to launch resort wear in India too. But the two were taken aback by the response from friends and relatives, who had warned them that they might be burning their fingers in this niche market.
"Resort wear is our forte and we know we are very good at it. Our near ones were very apprehensive about the fact that we were planning to launch the same line for Indian women too. But after studying the Indian market, we realised that there is a big vacuum in this area; so we went ahead with our line," said Narresh.
The duo make resort wear according to the customers' requirements and are creating a niche for themselves.
"We make customised lingerie for women to hide the flaws of their body. If a woman feels that she has a nice back and a broad lower body, we make a swimsuit according to her preferences that can camouflage her heavier part. This can be done easily with geometric prints and sensible use of dark colours. Unlike the swimsuits that are available in the market - with frills and like frocks," he said.
Revealing a bit about their clientele, Narresh said: "You will be surprised to know that most of my clients are 35-40 years old. The problem is that they don't want to wear the same dress their daughter is wearing at the swimming pool. They are tired of wearing the same designs and same colours. There are many who are not comfortable in them because they feel that they look fat. So they come for a change."
Narresh said he and his partner are very happy with the response they are getting for their customised resort wear. They feel that chic resort wear is a must-have in every woman's travel bag, just like they have in the West.
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