There is a spot off the Aegean Coast that little yachts stop at about two hours after taking off from a jetty in Bodrum, Turkey, where the water is at its bluest, the city castle shimmers magically in the distance, and the wine is properly chilled. You take a deep drink of white, sample some local cheese and flip into the glassy, deserted waters for a leisurely swim. Life has never been better.

It’s on Sail!

It is to find a bathing suit befitting this spot that we visited Shivan and Narresh’s flagship store, which opened in Pali Hill yesterday. On the drive over, one of us Scouters who had recently shopped at the swimwear-specialists’ Delhi branch, talked with anticipation about bow-laden bikinis and forest-printed bandeau tops, of matching bottoms that fit perfectly at the waist but might be cut too high at the leg, of a one-shouldered two-piece the colour of raspberries that we had foolishly not snapped up in the Capital, and would be reunited with here.

Unfortunately, that was not to be. On opening day, the Mumbai store was buzzing with guests and creamy canapés that no one who’s buying a swimsuit should sample, but woefully under-stocked in terms of merchandise. We spotted only a handful of bathing suits, street wear and saris punctuating two racks that ran the length of a stark-white, linear space; of these, one rack was dedicated to the “handmade” collection, gorgeous, complicated bikinis and swimsuits in arty combinations of black, grey and baby pink, which would have worked perfectly in Bodrum or St Tropez or Miami, but fell way beyond our budget – some of these babies cost upwards of Rs 35,000.

Costume Party

The regular, more reasonable collection featured one-shouldered swimsuits made from squares of colour, neon orange juxtaposed with light blue, deep maroon tucked amidst patches of gunmetal and ochre. These sported fun shapes, cowl necklines and deep backs, a cleavage slash to jazz up an otherwise bland one-piece.

Also available were pre-draped saris with bikini blouses and street wear that echoed the geometric lines and unusual colour combinations that is quickly becoming the label’s signature. Pay special attention to a box-shaped shirt in bright, waxy fabric, as well as pegged pants. They’re also doing an all-white collection we haven’t seen before, severely cut and unbearably chic.

But alas, no one-shouldered two-piece the colour of raspberries, or bow-laden bikinis. “We’re getting a lot of new bikinis soon,” a staff member assured us. We hope so, for our vacation on the perfect spot off the coast of Bodrum lies waiting. 

Getting there: Ground floor, Neptune Building, Pali Hill, Bandra (W), swimwear starts at Rs 6,000.