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It’s hard to believe that the designer duo Shivan Bhatia and Narresh Kukreja have only been in the business for a little over a decade. The two introduced the practically non-existent concept of swim and resort wear in a country that equates fashion with bridal wear. There was scarcely any mention of bikinis and swimsuits in the Indian fashion scene until, of course, Shivan & Narresh happened in 2010. But what’s the backstory? We found out.
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An exclusive interview with Shivan Bhatia of Shivan & Narresh
Image credit: Instagram/saraalikhan95
In an exclusive conversation with iDiva, Shivan highlights the designer duo’s love for travel being one of the reasons that culminated in the birth of what can be called India’s first luxury swimwear brand.
In a wedding-obsessed country, choosing to design swimwear was bold
Why choose swimwear? Shivan tells me, “One, we’ve both been big fans of travelling since the very beginning. The second thing is that whenever we’d be given an assignment in college, we’d come up with something as skimpy as possible, which also led to us winning a few competitions (Shivan and Narresh met at the National Institute of Fashion Technology through a common friend).”
“Those designs were beachwear and lingerie-centric. Third was our love for doing something unique, something that nobody had seen. And the journey has been such that now I think we did something right,” he quips.
Image credit: Instagram/ananyapanday
The brand evolved over time, just as most good things do. First, it was a seamless marriage of swimwear and resort wear, which soon progressed to ‘bikini sarees’ and now, the designers are dabbling in jewellery as well.
Shivan & Narresh collaborates with Aulerth for Numisma, a jewellery line
Shivan & Narresh have collaborated with Aulerth, a couture-inspired and consciously made jewellery house, for their latest jewellery line called Numisma. The moment I looked at the designs, I was reminded of how only recently someone suggested that I could turn our family’s collection of gold coins into jewellery. Shivan confirmed that their thought process behind the designs was not very different either.
Image credit: Instagram/shivanandnarresh and Instagram/aulerthofficial
“Honestly, it really goes down to digging into jewellery of your parents and grandparents. I have been admiring the gold coins-related jewellery for as long as I can remember. They’re purchased as an investment but the best way is to turn them into jewellery and that’s quite something… I also like it because it’d never go out of fashion. That was pretty much the thought process behind it,” he shares.
Shivan on the lessons learnt from the pandemic and being mindful of our surroundings
Video credit: Instagram/shivanandnarresh
One cannot talk about the Shivan & Narresh, the brand, without referencing their love for travel. Their life appears to be like a big holiday, and we know this courtesy of their Instagram handle. While many of their collections and designs are inspired by their travel diaries, there was a time during the pandemic when travelling wasn’t an option. What changes did that bring to their approach towards fashion and their creations?
Image credit: Instagram/shivanandnarresh
Shivan shares that during the time, the collection that they presented was inspired by their love for gardening.
“I took it up in a very very big way. I remember one plant was gifted to us but then we went on to buy about 200 more. Those became a big inspiration. One of the prints that we did is called ‘Botaneye’ and it was made during the time we were sitting at home. It had leaves that we picked up from the house and they were painted on and turned into a print,” he reveals.
Image credit: Instagram/shivanandnarresh
He further adds how they’re always looking at their surrounding for inspiration: “Whether we move between cities and countries or we just keep looking around, we always have to keep our eyes open.”
I believe that’s what helps them with their unique and bold take on resort wear, making their work a signature. And while theirs is a brand known for its all-inclusive silhouettes, I prod Shivan to share how they’re catering to the needs of their plus-size clients.
Why Shivan & Narresh don’t subscribe to the concept of ‘fat tax’
He is of the opinion that inclusivity is crucial, and he tells me, “We have always tried to keep our casting democratic by having plus-size models and people from within the LGBTQIA+ community. There’s no one body type and our fashion presentation should reflect that. And that idea also translates in our stores as we always keep plus-size clothing; you have to make sure everyone has something to try on.”
Image credit: Instagram/shivanandnarresh
Shivan further shares how they ensure that everybody who comes to their store is made to feel comfortable: “This is such an intimate category that sometimes it can intimidate people. And a lot of designers also have this concept of ‘fat tax’ which we don’t ever charge. The prices are the same across all body types.”
Shivan & Narresh and the Bollywood connect
That explains how their creations have made their way from the ateliers to women’s wardrobes. And more so, to every other celebrity’s ‘Gram. Speaking of celebrities, is it even a discussion on Indian fashion if there’s no mention of Bollywood? So I ask whose style they admire or if there’s someone the duo wish to see in their designs.
Image credit: Instagram/sukritigrover
Shivan candidly shares, “I think Sonam (Kapoor Ahuja) was the first one to show everybody what a red carpet truly is. It’s difficult for anyone to come up to her level,” quickly adding, “But at least right now, Kriti (Sanon) is doing a good job in Indian wear and I love seeing her in our clothes.”
As the wedding season approaches, the market will have a sea of clothing options. But thanks to the blend of Indian and western wear that’s coming up, Shivan & Narresh have an edge. The trend of destination weddings has propelled their business, and with their bold and beautiful swimsuits and sarees, they’re ready to ride the wave, more than ever.
Lead and social image credits: Instagram/narresh and Instagram/janhvikapoor
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