Beaches, babes, bikinis..here`s India Resort Fashion Week

Resort wear might have a niche market in the country, but the rules of the game are set to soon change with inaugural edition IRFW.

Mumbai: Resort wear might have a niche market in the country, but the rules of the game are set to soon change with inaugural edition of India Resort fashion week(IRFW) starting here Dec 7.

With Shantanu and Nikhil, Manish Malhotra, Shivan and Narresh and Narendra Kumar associated with it, one can expect a melange of creative "fireworks" in terms of beach wear. The four-day fashion fete will have more than 15 designers from across the country participating. The event will be held at the Grand Hyatt hotel and the icing on the cake will be the perfect location for the grand finale - Marbela beach resort, Morjim, where sea will provide the perfect backdrop. Aimed at taking Indian resort wear global, IRFW COO Shalini Chuganee feels this is going to be an apt platform to provide business-to-business opportunities to designers. "This platform provides opportunities not only in business-to-business but in the business-to-consumer segment as well, resulting in brand equity. We are hoping the amalgamation of international quality standards with the finest resort wear designer collections will take Indian resort wear to the global fashion map," Chuganee said. Mumbai-based designer James Ferreira will open the show while Bollywood favourite Manish Malhotra will bring the curtains down Dec 10. In fact, Pallav Ojha, director of UVAR Pvt Ltd, a retail firm which is also one of the main organisers of the event, felt the venue, the mood and the spirit of the fashion week goes hand-in-hand with the city of beaches. Hence the choice of the venue itself speaks a lot about the event. "When we think about beach fashion, style and attitude, Goa is the first destination on people`s mind. Goa is visited by the maximum number of national and international tourists. Goa has been synonymous with luxury, style and the beach experience worldwide," Ojha told IANS. The enthusiasm amongst the participating designers is equally upbeat and positive. Delhi-based designer duo Shivan and Narresh, who specialise in resort wear, feel there is a long way to go to the next level, but are optimistic that with shows like this, resort wear in India will grow with leaps and bounds. "Designers who ardently create resort wear many a times go unnoticed. India does not provide adequate impetus for this booming sector. IRFW provides numerous designers a platform to showcase their creativity. It will helps them tap this profitable segment," Shivan Bhatiya told IANS. As the countdown has already begun, one can start sipping martins and watch the show. IANS