Swimwear Soiree

By Meher Castelino

A coast line spanning almost 7000 kilometers, best-in-the-world beaches, great surf, sunshine all the year round – should translate into a booming water sport centric population really. The truth, for various reasons known and unknown, is far from it in our homeland. The female of the Indian species, in general, will not flaunt her bod in skimpy swimsuits and that nips the swimwear industry in the bud.

On the other hand, countries like South America’s Brazil live on the beach and their swimwear industry is one of the best with seasonal fashion shows presenting the latest for aqua wear. There are fashion fairs like the Igedo Body and Beach expo which is held twice a year in Düsseldorf, Germany where the top European Beach wear brands like Maryan, Opera, Marco Polo, La Perla, Gottex and many more present their latest developments. Maryan beachwear has created a special fabric that can reduce the figure of a woman by a few inches when she wears their one piece swimsuit.

So why does India lag behind? Most brands put the blame on the lack of confidence in Indian women to expose their figures in one or two piece swimsuits. Definitely culture has a bigger role to play. Most women try to swim either in a salwar kameeze or a sari since showing their legs would not be in keeping with social norms and in many cases may go against the customs of society they live in. Remember movies by Raj Kapoor? His heroines mostly wore saris while they bathed in rivers or under waterfalls, the exceptions being a coy Vayjantimala in ‘Sangam’ or Sharmila Tagore’s bad twin in ‘An Evening in Paris’.

“The cut for swimwear for ladies that is popular is the one that covers the body as much as possible since Indian women are conservative compared to their western counterparts. Indian women are not fond of wearing tank tops, bikinis or swimsuits with V cut or racer back. A woman inclined to wear these would go for a foreign brand but with the rise in the number of water parks and swimming pools in colonies having one swimsuit is a necessity,” informs Satpal Singh, Business Head of Black Panther which has just introduced swimwear in basic conservative one piece styles some with extended shorts or frock silhouettes and the brand is doing very well with sales soaring during summer. Prices are around Rs 750 -850.

Buying a good swimsuit is quite a tedious affair in India as the choice is almost nonexistent. The well known chain of Lifestyle stores sells a brand called Lobster priced between Rs 720-750 which is in a princess line one piece style with a frock silhouette. The shape is decades old and the colours are limited to red, purple and blue in S M L sizes.

Pantaloons which has brought Speedo to India offers a couple of styles for adults and juniors in bright neon colours. The styling is good with racer back being a popular option. In adults the sizes are from 32-38 in the price range from Rs 1179-2199, while for juniors sizes range from 22-26 in the price range of Rs 849-1199. Speedo appears to be the only foreign brand that has caught the attention of the buyers and given them a swimwear line that has great styling. Even a store like Planet Sports only stocks Speedo which gives good sales in three different ranges, which are setting the trend in styles for many of the Indian brands.

Surprisingly Nike, Adidas and Reebok don’t stock swimwear while Puma has a few odd pieces in grey and black one piece with low tie-up backs and front rouching and some sexy bikinis. The prices are between Rs 1700-2100.

The best collection is at Triumph which has a separate section where the beautiful prints, vibrant colours and the styles are international class for both one piece and bikinis and the prices range from Rs 1499-2300. For the one piece customers can choose from 36-44 while the bikinis are according to the bra sizes.

An interesting store called Boudoir London opened by Dalbir Bains, which is devoted solely to lingerie and swimwear, has a fabulous new range of swimwear which is of international standard for summer 2009 with amazing styles and fabrics. “This is the third season for our swimwear and we have everything from the basic one piece to the sexy two pieces, tankini, and those with slimming side panels. The swimwear is from UK labels like Lepel, Fantasy, Panache, Freya and Aquaclara in the price range of Rs 2900-6000. We work on bra sizes with a built in contour for our swimwear so they fit the buyer perfectly and give them a good shape. Our customers are from the very young and trendy but the main age group is between 35-55 and these ladies are regular housewives who are members of pools and swim as a form of exercise since they don’t like going to the gym or running,” reveals Dalbir. The store also has a site www.boudoirlondon.in, where on line sales are done not only in India but all over the world and orders are delivered within 48 hours of getting them.

There are other local brands like Fashion Fever which once again offers very conservative one piece frock styles. But apparently the brand’s production jumps up in summer and it is a favourite with Indian women. Prices for this brand start at an affordable Rs 350 and the suits are made of polyester jersey or Lycra.

All over the world the swimwear business is a money spinning industry. Even fashion designers like Donna Karan, Armani, and Versace have a swim wear line which is part of their lingerie segment. Although most Indian designers make corsets and bustiers they are still not able to perfect the art of making good swimwear. Unfortunately Indian designers do show a few bikinis and one pieces swim suits in their collections during fashion weeks but they have not made a mark in the industry.

Designers like Rina Dhaka, Ranna Gill, and Malini Ramani have shown sexy swimwear in their collections but it seems that they are mainly for the ramp, to create a sexy impression and end up as front page visuals in the press but may not be very practical in the water. Many designers blame this on the lack of specific technology which swimwear demands along with the right fabrics. Most Indian designers would prefer to sell one dress with a five figure tag than worry about creating swimwear which has a limited market in India.

Rocky S, the very unconventional designer feels, “Swimwear is like Lingerie and is the most difficult garment to manufacture and needs high tech machines and skills. Internationally it has been perfected but here in India designers prefer to do other product lines.”

“Indian designers are hesitating to go in for lingerie/swimwear since the right fabrics and trims are not available and have to be sourced from China. We are doing what we are good at, which is outer wear as well as formal clothing,” confesses designer Gayatri Khanna.

Since there is such a dearth of good stylish swimwear many stores import them from China and Thailand where the swimwear business is very advanced. There are numerous lingerie fairs held in China, Japan and the Far East which show season styles in swim wear and brands are as creative with beach wear as they are with apparel. Stores like Premsons and Eternia stock a mix of swimwear like Speedo, Enkay, Lycot which are available in India and then bring in Far Eastern brands of two and one piece swimsuits in frock or leggings styles in sizes which range from S,M,L, XL and XXL.

The swimwear market is now growing but at a snail’s pace but there seems to be a lot of potential since fitness is now a way of life for men and women of all ages and swimming is one of the best and easiest was to keep healthy and fit.

Gucci sues Guess over trademark copying

Gucci, the Italian fashion house has sued Guess Inc, its rival fashion and leather goods label, for copying a dress design and several trademark logos. Guess is popularly known to copy big brand bags and has been ripping off designs for some time, selling them at lowered prices. Gucci took offence at the clever imitation of trademarked designs, including a green and red stripe, a repeated interlocking GG mark and stylized G mark it emblazoned on accessories like handbags, belts, gloves, watches and glasses. The suit was filed in a Manhattan federal court last month and seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Pocketknives major debuts with scent for men

Victorinox Swiss Army knives, which is a globally recognised brand for its folding knives etc, is cutting into the realm of fragrance and perfumes. The debut scent is Swiss Unlimited for men, of course. Veronika Elsener, Chairman and a member of the fourth generation of the founding family, was reported to have said, “It took us 125 years for the first launch of a Victorinox fragrance.” She projects that the fragrance will add “more emotional and playful attributes to enhance our brand.” The brand has adopted an entirely novel marketing strategy with the focus being on e-commerce, expected to account for 70% of sales in the first year and is going to try out three new kiosk systems positioned at airports and retailers where the buyer can sample and purchase the fragrance via touch screens and the product will be shipped to the buyer’s home directly. Vera Strübi, the retired Clarins executive and known for her innovative methods is heading the entire project and has been quoted to have said, “The industry is so overloaded with products — to launch like everyone else would make no sense… Going outside the point of sale direct to the consumers works very well, and we’ll also sell it on our e-shop, which we then hope to expand to the mobile phone.”

Revlon to launch its first mineral make-up collection

Revlon Inc is set to launch a new lineup of cosmetics for the second half of 2009. The line will feature first-to-market breakthrough technology product introductions of Revlon and Almay color cosmetics. Revlon Executive Vice President and General Manager, U.S. Region Chris Elshaw said, “As part of our strategy of continuing to build our strong brands, we believe launching high-quality, consumer-preferred new products is a key driver of profitable brand growth.” The cosmetics being introduced are, Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick with exclusive ColorStay long-wear technology, Revlon DoubleTwist Mascara, Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mousse Makeup and Revlon ColorStay Mineral Finishing Powder. Almay color cosmetics have introduced Almay Smart Shade Smart Balance Makeup with shade sensing microbeads to adjust to skin tone and breakthrough Smart Balance technology with skin balancing microspheres that work to keep oily areas shine-free and dry skin softly hydrated.

Wal-Mart gets Miley Cyrus to design affordable fashion line

In a move to capture the shopping frenzy associated with the back-to-school season, Wal-Mart, the grocery, detergent, fruits n veg retailer has commissioned teen star Miley Cyrus and BCBG designer Max Azria to design clothing and accessory that will be sold for $12 or less. The rock music-inspired line will be part of a triad of Wal-Mart-exclusive collections aimed at teens: the denim-based L.E.I. brand and surf-inspired Op also produce lines just for Wal-Mart. The Miley Cyrus & Max Azria line will debut in all stores in August.

Gap ties-up with Stella McCartney for its new kid’s line

Gap Inc has tied up with celebrity designer Stella McCartney to design a select line of children’s clothing. The line will be launched in the later half of this year. This move should bring in more shoppers into Gap’s portals. The collection will be available at select GapKids and babyGap stores in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Ireland, and Japan and will be available in the US online. Stella McCartney runs her own fashion house in a JV with the Gucci Group since 2001. Commenting on her partnership with Gap she said, "I believe that kids clothing should be more accessibly priced, which is particularly important at the moment given the current climate." She is the daughter of Paul McCartney and a vegetarian who abstains from using animal products or animal testing in her lines.

Now Russians pay fashion tribute to Barbie

The fiftieth anniversary of Barbie was celebrated in Moscow, a place where Barbie dolls have only appeared recently. An exhibition of Barbie dolls in designer clothing is being held at Cara&Co concept store. Roza Kamenev, owner of the store said, "We didn’t know anything about Barbie in the U.S.S.R.” and heard about it when she immigrated to Sydney in the late Eighties. To complement the 50 Barbie outfits by foreign accessory designers already in the show, Kamenev commissioned outfits by Russians and the brands she sells in her shop. Andrei Bartenev contributed a black-and-white dress that looks like a full-body Elizabethan ruff. Junko Shimada put Barbie in a headscarf and leggings made of electric-blue cellophane. Slava Zaitsev, a stalwart who gained fame during the Soviet era, dressed his doll in a black, flamenco-inspired ball gown embroidered with gold flowers. The exhibition runs till June 14.

Adidas eyes double digit growth in football market in 2010

Adidas AG will be the official sponsor of the football World Cup to be held in South Africa next year and is expecting to generate double-digit sales growth. Speaking at the Adidas Football Day in Herzogenaurach today (10 June), chairman and CEO Herbert Hainer said the firm's football sales in 2010 are likely to exceed those of 2008. Speaking to the press he said, "We are well positioned to further extend our market leadership in football again next year…. We start from the same position as for the extremely successful 2006 World Cup. As Official Sponsor, Adidas will supply the official ball of the tournament and equip officials, referees, volunteers and ball kids. Additionally we outfit the host team South Africa." The second half of 2009 will see the first Adidas products for the World Cup. A market survey by NPD Sports Tracking Europe and SportScan states that Adidas is the leading football brand with a market share of more than 34% and almost 50% is Germany and North America. This is likely to be further enhanced in view that Adidas, is also the official sponsor, supplier and licensee to all FIFA World Cups until 2014.
Adidas is the partner and supplier of numerous national teams, it is the official partner of football's international governing body FIFA, the European Football Union UEFA and the Confederation of African Football CAF.

Benetton’s S/S 09 collection adds colour to Dubai Mall Catwalk

United Colours of Benetton celebrated the Dubai Mall Shopping Festival with three fashion shows for women’s wear, men’s wear and kid’s wear, held at the Mall’s newly launched hi-tech catwalk. The women’s wear lines comprised Bold block colors, acid brights, and nautical stripes with distressed denims, jersey wrap cardigans and casual tees for leisure wear and for office wear were tailored pinstripe waistcoat teamed with cropped trousers and puff sleeve shirt were most appropriate. Men’s wear formals had three piece tailored suit in charcoal grey teamed with buckle boots and leisure wear had white trousers combined with a pinstripe shirt and deck shoes and Hawaiian print shirt and check board-shorts. Kid’s wear was about candy stripes, pastels and neons along with baby doll dresses, cropped shorts and rock-star tees. The United Colors of Benetton Summer 09 collection is available from 1 June at stores in Deira City Centre, Mall of the Emirates and The Dubai Mall.

Don’t play with your food. However if you must, please be creative, like these folks who had probably lost their appetite. Creative juices surging instead of gastric?

Could the world map have appeared by merely nibbling carefully? Not possible unless the person had teeth like mice.
	This sandwich was being attempted by a detective who couldn’t find a match for his only lead – the fingerprints on the mustard bottle. I am only guessing really.
Clearly, drawing a thumb print with Kurkure is a sheer waste of the snack. There are other ways of doing the same…
	Member of the Jury please notice that the prints on the tart do not match the mustard print or the kurkure one. So I am going to eat it.
Will someone tell this idiot that pie charts are not made using an actual pie? Any case I will be digging into the housing sector slice.
	This cell division is mitosis and not binary fission because the cookie on the right has the same red, white, blue icing as the one on the left …WHO ATE THE GAMETE?
Marie biscuits do not crumble easily and therefore can be put to many uses besides dipping them into the tea discreetly.
	An Oreo cookie helps to balance your yin and yang energies…or is that some fan of Doordarshan?

Jawed Habib flags off Hair Express 99

Jawed Habib, the celebrated hair stylist who is carrying forward the legacy of his father, has launched the first ever Hair Express Salon in Raghuleela Mall in Navi Mumbai under a franchise model, ‘Hair Express 99’ wherein every patron will get a hair cut for a nominal Rs99. He is being lauded for his business savvy in cashing in on his brand. Jawed Habib himself claims that it is his effort to offer style at nominal cost to the new fashion conscious middle class. The Jawed Habib Hair Academy is already a well known hair styling institutes in India with 35 centers. The next Hair Express 99 salons will be opened in Inorbit and R-Mall in Mumbai and the rest of India will see more such opening until 2010.

Woody Allen wins $5mil lawsuit against American Apparel

American Apparel Inc, manufacturer and online retailer is going to have to pay filmmaker Woody Allen a hefty $5mil for having used his likeness on of his image parodying him as a rabbi, without taking his permission. The advertisements appeared two years ago on billboards in Hollywood and New York and on a Website. A frame from Woody Allen’s film ‘Annie Hall’ was used to depict Allen as a Hasidic Jew with long beard, side curls, black hat and Yiddish text meaning ‘the holy rebbe’. The initial demand for $10mil was pared down by half. While American Apparel is known for its racy ads, Woody Allen has never ever appeared in an ad since 1960 even when he was struggling and took offence at being seen to be peddling some apparel line.

Breaking all the rules!

I still remember one of my Physics professors at University. That is because he always used to wear black ‘band-galla’ jacket and black trousers in winter with a red handkerchief triangle from the chest pocket. When I say always, I mean every single day of winter. And yes, in summer he wore what else – a white bush shirt and trousers and dark glasses. Many others wore the same, but this particular professor wore it every single day of summer. Many self-appointed defenders of Indian culture swear by old conservative styles and feel violated when anything else is suggested. To them conservatism is a religion. The modern day ‘awatars’ of this philosophy contend that India has one season – summer – and so anything innovative is a waste of time. However, technology – from air conditioned spaces and international travel – has changed the landscape. More so, with a liberal democracy slowly taking root and electronic communication bringing the world to our door step, the young majority of India in waiting is poised to break all the rules of the past. That is why we thought it appropriate to bring in a feature on swimwear – still conservative in design but no longer taboo!