New Delhi, Apr 10 (PTI) “Create from the heart and without judgement”. This has been the philosophy of fashion designer duo Shivan & Narresh, who are celebrating the 15th year of their brand in 2025.

The Delhi-based designers, whose full names are Shivan Bhatiya and Narresh Kukreja, presented their latest collection at the recently concluded 25th edition of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) X FDCI in Mumbai.

“It has been about creating joy, creating holidays not just for us but for everybody who buys into the universe of the brand. So it is to celebrate the joy of travel, holiday, lifestyle, and freedom,” Shivan said.

For Narresh, fashion, like any form of art, stems from the self.

“Self love, self appreciation. That’s what fashion is. It is obviously seen very frivolously most of the time. But it’s a powerful tool of self expression and self love. If it’s used right then it can transform a society because it hits you at an individual level.

“Power of fashion needs to be harnessed with a lot of responsibility and that has been our intention for the last 15 years. Create from the heart, without judgement, and without keeping any one particular person in mind,” he said.

What have been their achievements in the last 15 years as a luxe resort and swimwear fashion brand, which they established in 2010? According to Shivan, it has been about teaching people how to holiday in style and in fashion.

“Being India’s first luxury swimwear brand to India’s first luxury holiday lifestyle brand that now we are. It’s been that beautiful journey of just putting people on a holiday. I feel like that’s been our achievement.” Narresh said they have managed to break Indian fashion “out of the shackles of occasion wear”.

“Generation after generation, designers had no choice but to pursue occasion wear because it felt like that was the only thing that could work in India in the name of fashion. We just came from a different sense of energy and broke that (mould) and suddenly gave the opposite end of a spectrum of what fashion can mean coming out of India.” The partnership between Shivan and Narresh, who met over 20 years ago, is simple: the former is a “brilliant illustrator” and the latter is the one who fills the colour in the designs.

“On the design table, it always starts with him. He dishes out the silhouettes. Then they are moved over to me. I’m a print artist, so I design the prints and colours. He will build up his illustrations and print in colour. Eventually, what comes out is actually not 100 per cent me or him.

“When I’m doing my prints, I don’t know what shapes he is working on. And, when he’s doing shapes, he doesn’t know (what I have in mind). He’s thinking in black and white and I’m just thinking in a riot of colours. When it (all) comes out in sampling, it’s a shock and surprise for both of us,” Narresh said. PTI RDS BK BK