City spends big bucks on travel couture

A growing number of Hyderabadis are now splurging on exclusive designer wear to look good on exotic vacations and honeymoons!
Whether it’s Kim Kardashian or Victoria Beckham, Gauri Khan or Kareena Kapoor, the jet-setting ladies treat the paparazzi to a picture perfect moment every time they step off an aircraft. While many might marvel at their ability to look flawlessly stylish, whether it’s 32,000 feet up in the air or while vacationing in Ibiza, the fact is there are a whole breed of stylish Hyderabadis who believe in travelling in style as well.And they don’t mind spending big bucks to make their holiday pictures look good.
Vacation wardrobe gets stylish
There was a time when every man (almost), owned that loose-fitting wild Hawaiian shirt. In fact, most of our vacation packing usually was a mix of fuss-free shorts, little skirts and comfy tees. But not anymore. Today, city fashionistas make trips to designers, not just for special occasions like weddings, but to fill their travelling bags with designer-wear, before heading off on a fun vacation. Says designer Shravan Kumar, “I have designed clothes for people who are heading off on their honeymoon or are celebrating their first year anniversaries at exotic locales. They come to me with specific requests like design and colour-coordination. Money has never been an issue for them.”
It’s no surprise then that the resort and travel luxe lines in the city are selling like hot cakes. Couturier Asmita Marwa feels that it’s the growing number of well-heeled travellers that has led to the popularity of designer travel wear. “The world today is shrinking. After working all year round, people like to spend big bucks on vacations. And these days, purchasing resort or travel luxe wear is a big part of the holiday.”
Anything for their image
Hyderabadis who purchase designer wear for vacations insist that the money is well-spent as it takes care of their ‘image’. Suraj Rao, an entrepreneur, who runs a chain of popular hospitals in the city, believes in splurging on exclusive resort wear as you never know who you’ll bump into while vacationing! “Getting a designer to create a whole ensemble for me while I vacation is a personal choice. It’s all about my image. I want to look stylish even when I’m travelling. I might just bump into people who I deal with for business and it’s always good to be well-turned out, even when on a break. So, I don’t mind spending those big bucks on travel wear.”
Comfort is key
It’s not all about the style. The one factor that plays big on most fashionistas’ minds is comfort. Sharon Sood, an aspiring designer, who got a whole line of clothing exclusively tailored for a trip to Hawaii with family, laid a strong emphasis on comfort. “I got an entire vacation line designed in pristine white and other pastel colours that are soothing and relaxing. While we wanted to look well-groomed when we vacation in a place like Hawaii, I ensured the entire collection was classy, flowy and extremely comfortable. If resort wear only looks good and doesn’t feel comfortable, it defeats the whole purpose,” explains Sharon.
Not for everyone
According to designers, the market for resort and travel luxe wear is growing every year, thanks to Indians who splurge on a well-deserved vacation. But while this might seem like an indulgence to most, according to our couturiers, it caters to an extremely niche clientele. “These collections are meant for customers who have yacht parties, or who whisk away their lady love on a private jet to some exotic island or simply take a chopper to their destination. They are very particular about their vacation clothing and are our biggest buyers and trust me, Hyderabad does have a huge number of them,” explains Shravan. Asmita Marwah too holds a similar opinion. “My clothes are not meant for everyone. In fact, it seeks its wearer. Resort and travel wear are not just a ‘label’. Not many can pull it off. One needs to have that eclectic taste and elegance.”