Resort wear is something which is getting bigger as Indians have started travelling and consequently shopping a lot. Contrary to general perception, resort wear is beyond bikinis and sarongs. Therefore, at the upcoming India Resort Fashion Week in Goa, one will see a lot of evening dresses, gowns, cruise wear and partying clothes apart from swimwear.
As holidaying is more than just beach bumming, people are buying outfits for cruise parties, clubbing and clothes you can step out in. With destination weddings catching up, people are even buying couture, says designer Anjalee Kapoor, who will be showcasing her resort wear line along with husband and partner Arjun Kapoor.
Bipasha Basu will be walking the ramp for the duo, who have done easy, breezy, loungy kaftans, high-waist skirts and a lot of angel prints. “I produce what I have to sell. So I have done easy to maintain and non-fussy garments,” says Anjalee.
“Resort wear has become one of the biggest selling points for retailers and designers. A garment that was once considered leisure wear, has emerged as a fashionable and ready to wear market on a big scale. Initially resort wear was marketed as an upscale garment in high-end stores, and collections were affordable only for the affluent classes. Now everybody who loves to travel is spending on resort wear,” says Rocky S, whose collection is all about languid silhouettes, sequinned glamour, flirtatious tassels and sensuous sheer fabrics.
“We launched our resort wear around a year and a half back and it turned out to be an instant hit. At our Dubai store, 50 to 60 per cent of business comes from resort wear that says a lot about resort wear’s popularity,” informs Anjalee.
New York-based designer Sushma Patel feels that resort wear in India has a very typical picture of being casual, and she wants to change this notion by presenting a versatile collection which is a mix of luxury, couture and casual.
“Being outlandish is the main accent of my collection. Resort wear in India has started to develop as people have now started to experiment and make resort wear a part of their style calendar. Customers usually demand for swimwear that is alluring as well as comfortable. There is also a huge demand for embellished swimwear. So embellished swimwear is going to be hot this season. Studs are the new thing, prints, colour juxtaposition and neat cutouts are a few string trends this season,” adds Sushma.
Aarti Vijay Gupta, whose quirky resort line consisting of doodle bikins, pantone shorts, doodle kaftans, is an extension to her Doodle Book collection for Lakme, says that neon colours, quirky prints and monochromes are going to be a big hit.
While Rocky predicts that simplicity and juxtaposition of black with white, abstract prints, sculptural one-piece swimsuit, crochet with retro feel are a few of the upcoming trends.