As we complete #8Iconicyearsofdelhiites , we have put together an interesting story featuring eight icons of the city from different parallels of lifestyle. The illustrious list includes F & B – AD Singh, MD Olive restaurants, Auto – Amit Garg, MD Shiva motors, Music – DJ Aqeel, Jewellery – Meghali Gupta, Director Shri Ram Hari Ram Jewellers, Fashion – Shivan Bhatiya, Head Designer and Narresh Kukreja, Creative Director, SHIVAN & NARRESH, Comedy – PAPA CJ, Cinema – Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Joint MD PVR Ltd. and Real Estate – Yukti Nagpal, Director Gulshan Homes. Read on to know more about their inspiring journey’s so far and plans for the future.

Shivan Bhatia and Narresh Kukreja are a dynamic duo and their label ‘Shivan & Narresh’ is a first of its kind in the country in resort wear. Established over a decade ago, their brand has come a long way and is now a ready reckoner for holiday goers. They have recently forayed into couture in collaboration with six artists.

• When and how did you discover your inclination towards fashion ?
Shivan Bhatiya: A major part of my creative sensibilities are rooted in my early exposure to the rich botany of north and central India, which often reflect in my designs as well. I hail from Kanpur and spent a large portion of my childhood amidst the vibrant geography of Madhya Pradesh. Since the beginning, I wanted to be part of an industry that would help me illustrate my fascination with the flora and fauna—and fashion allows me that creative freedom to do so, gloriously.

Narresh Kukreja: I was born and raised in New Delhi. As a city kid, the hustlebustle of the metropolis has always kept me on my toes and inspired me to be agile in my ideologies and vision. Having a keen inclination towards art and fashion since my childhood, I knew I would eventually venture into a field that would enable me to explore my creative sensibilities. Thus, getting into design was no surprise.• What according to you has been the turning point in your career ?
Shivan: For me, the very decision to do swimwear was a turning point in my career. The choice of category in itself was so erratic at the time that we started. We kind of made a whole new market for ourselves without even having a need for it. We came, we radicalized the idea of swimwear in the country and made a niche for ourselves in an almost non-existent space, and there has been no looking back ever since.

Narresh: For me, personally, the turning point was when we took the courage of changing our creative design language. With us being into the industry for only 2-3 years, we were back then popular for our color blocking and for us to at that time, shift the definition completely to prints, was personally a huge turning point in our career. To completely redefine what the brand aesthetic was going to be and moving away from color blocks to becoming a completely print-driven universe was definitely a big risk. The stupendous success that we experienced from taking this leap of faith and evolving into a print centric brand will always be a major influence on our journey over the last years.

• What has been the biggest challenge for you in your illustrious career ?
Shivan & Narresh: We started our journey with swimwear at a time when it was a non-existent category in the Indian fashion industry. In the initial years, it was extremely challenging to catalyze the process and traditional mindset. However, over the years with the influx of western influences and social media becoming a powerful democratic instrument, both swim and resort have finally carved a niche for themselves as independent apparel entities in the fashion market. From the beginning, we wanted to design offerings keeping in mind the quintessential Indian silhouette and are today one of the few brands in the world to offer bespoke customization for non-standardized body types that promise appropriate fit, style and confidence, no matter how big or small the size would be. Today, we are proud to see numerous women go on holidays and graciously post fashion swimsuit looks on social media, something that was once, considered a taboo in the Indian community. Our vision is to infuse body confidence in one and all, where both, women and men take pride in their body and love it the way it is.• How has the pandemic impacted your business and what measures are you taking to salvage the situation ?
Shivan & Narresh: There is absolutely no doubt that the Pandemic has had an irreparable impact on the entire global fashion industry over the last two years. However, there is also a sense of irony in this situation. From last year to now, the breather that our consumers experienced between the first and the second wave, actually led to an exceptional demand for swim and resort wear as a category. It resulted in major rise in sales for us collectively – one of the highest we have witnessed at once, as compared to previous years in the last decade. This made us realize how strong an impact travel holds over the minds of the people, especially in the current time. There is a t