Summer is already here and most of us are planning a cool seaside holiday. Along with it comes the stress of putting our best foot forward when it comes to beachwear. Be it bikinis, monokinis or resort wear — the catch is to keep it cool and eye-soothing. And with more and more Indian women being more comfortable with their bodies and open to revealing a bit, the gap in the Indian market for swimwear has gone to minimal. But what's harder to find is swimwear that fits the Indian body type and looks elegant. Wunderlove, a new swimwear collection by Westside, is a step in the right direction. Shailina Parti, COO at Trent, felt the need for a well-constructed swimsuit designed for her body type but was unable to find anything that suited her when she came to Mumbai last year from London.
And so the idea of launching a swimwear collection at Westside had been brewing in her mind for a long time. “I am a swimmer and I couldn't find anything for myself. I saw some stylish sportswear but not swimwear. I travelled a little in India and every property and flights seem to be booked not by outside travellers but by Indians. Everyone wants to travel and with women becoming more liberated about their bodies and willing to show a little bit more, I thought why not offer something which is elegant and beautiful? There was a gap and I wanted to fill that,” says Shailina as we settle for this conversation post the launch of the collection in Mumbai.
From tankinis, monokinis, and bikini sets to high-waists, florals, kimonos, and cutouts in six different styles — the common thread is the heavy use of bright, vibrant shades and prices. There are three shades of green – neon, lime and apple green along with floral blue, red, pink, black, and white high-leg briefs, crop tops, dresses, and knot dresses. While there is attention to coverage, details like cutouts at the waist and in the front and plunging necklines, give the pieces a contemporary edge.
“The inspiration behind the collection is India. We wanted to put that elegance in the collection. The colours have been given a thought considering that women today have Instagram and they know what the trends are. We wanted to meet the trends for Gen Z combined with the fashion from the 60s to make the collection timeless and affordable,” she says.
Currently, Shailina is attempting to get as much visibility by actively reaching out to customers and more people by organising community events. She tells us, the brand will soon be launching an app to reach out to more people with updates and offers. “We want Westside to be known by people not only for clothes but because of what the brand represents. We don't have celebrities onboard, we don't do billboards and TV advertising. We have to find clever ways to make an impact. We would love to be quicker and louder but with our brand ethos,” she says. She further adds that there's been a shift in consumer behaviour in the last few years. “We want to add value with amazing products with affordable pricing,” she adds.
Shailina Parti, COO, Westside |
With quiet luxury being a new trend, Shailina firmly believes to keep the new collection growing silently and not with the face of a celebrity. “There's elegance and sophistication that comes with being quietly successful. We have managed to grow the business over 25 years with that brand ethos. I am not saying never but for now, it seems better that way. There's a big trend of quiet luxury and quiet fashion is what we are looking for,” says the COO adding that Indian fashion has gone more Western. “People are moving from ethnic to western. Fashion, jewellery, and footwear have gone Western. And I think there's an appetite in India to have something that feels appropriate but much more Western in its look. That's the shift I see in India,” she says in conclusion.
