Controversial Fashion Show at Ski Resort in India During Ramadan Creates Debate
The Shivan & Narresh cofounders, whose recent fashion show at a ski resort in India during Ramadan sparked controversy and public debate, discussed the aftermath they are now dealing with.
The designers faced criticism from some government and religious officials, consumers and others, after the slopeside runway show at the Gulmarg Ski Resort on Friday. The pushback was due to the event being held during Ramadan and for featuring what some considered to be inappropriate clothing — bikini tops and a few other body-baring styles paired with their skiwear. To try to tamp down the backlash, cofounders Shivan Bhatiya and Narresh Kukreja issued an apology on X and removed any imagery from the show or references to it from their social media channels.
More from WWD
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar year, is a holy month of fasting and spiritual reflection for the Muslim world. In India, this year’s annual observance of Ramadan started on March 2 and it is expected to end on March 30 or March 31. (It is contingent on the sighting of one crescent moon to the next.)
The public outcry from such leaders as chief minister Omar Abdullah has also led to an official investigation. Abdullah had not acknowledged a media request on Tuesday. Bhatiya and Kukreja said they had provided the permits and other related information for the inquiry.
In a post on X on Monday, Sarah Hayat Shah, state spokesperson for the Jammu Kashmir National Conference, said the show was not organized by the government and no government money or infrastructure was used for it. The situation has reportedly resulted in “heated discussions” in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. (Located in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, Jammu and Kashmir had special status under Article 370 of the Indian constitution until that was revoked in 2019.) The controversy about the show has also sparked a public debate about fashion, and cultural and religious sensitivities.
Reached in New Delhi Tuesday, Shivan & Narresh’s cofounders described the situation as “an oversight” on their part. They said they had invited nearly 100 guests — members of the media, influencers and clients — to the Gulmarg Ski Resort for a four-day celebration of their company’s 15-year anniversary. Started as a luxury swimwear brand, Shivan & Narresh added skiwear five years ago, but Friday’s fashion show was the first one to feature its skiwear. Kukreja said, “Clearly, it was a sound show. But it was unfortunate that the religious sentiment was completely an oversight on our part,” he said. “It was obviously held during the holy month of Ramadan so we have to do what is needed.”
Asked if he or Kukreja observes Ramadan, Bhatiya said, “We are not Muslim. We do not observe it. We are Hindu. But the show was in a region that is heavily Muslim dominated….It didn’t cross our minds honestly.”
Kukreja said, “It was organized in the spirit of celebrating creativity. We were celebrating 15 years of being in the fashion business. We’ve been known for [designs for] summer holidays. We now wanted to do something iconic to celebrate our company’s milestone, so we thought we’d do a presentation in a ski resort, marking our foray into winter holidays, ski and an apres-ski line with the [fashion] show.”
Shivan & Narresh had “completely bought out” the Gulmarg Ski Resort from the owner in its entirety for four days of skiing, picnic lunches, snowmobiling, the fashion show and other activities for the guests, who were flown in for “the experiential trip,” Kukreja said. “They were in-the-know. It’s not as though anybody was unaware of the facts.”
A media request to the Gulmarg Ski Resort was not returned.
The luxury label spent approximately $1,500 per person for the nearly 100 guests. “Our idea was to put Gulmarg on the tourist map. When you see the show, it looks like it could be anywhere in the world. We worked very hard for the past four months to make the show happen,” said Kukreja, adding that the publicity plan for Gulmarg “backfired.”
Acknowledging the “public outrage,” Kukreja said he “personally does not like to be involved with anything that is political. We are running an honest business. The idea is to push the envelope, push the envelope to where society is headed. The segment of people that we cater to is very, very small and that includes Indians, who have settled all over the world.”
Shivan & Narresh generates nearly $45 million in annual sales, according to industry sources. With an online store and five freestanding stores, the luxury swimwear and skiwear brand aims to expand into other categories and regions including the U.S.
Asked about the negativity on social media, Kukreja said, “Yes, this has been a day. But there’s also been a lot of support. It’s healthy at the moment and we have not got any personal craziness yet.”
He added, “I don’t see what we have done was terribly wrong. It was a completely private event for only our guests. Unfortunately, the location was something that was an oversight on our part, [given that Gulmarg is in a region where Ramadan is largely observed].”
After one of the models was questioned by a stranger for eating peanuts on the street in Gulmarg during the fasting hours of Ramadan, the model responded that he was not observing the fast, according to Kukreja. “We were also taken aback [by that],” he said.
The founders said they have never promoted their luxury swimwear as “overly sexy.” Despite the controversy, the latest skiwear collection will be shipped in November as planned to coincide with the start of the ski season. “That’s when the rest of the country is looking to buy skiwear from us,” they said.
Best of WWD
Supermodel Iman's Iconic Fashion Journey: Celebrating 50 Years [PHOTOS]
Virgil Abloh's Off-White Streetwear Meets Luxury Revolution on the Runway
Tyra Banks: From Iconic Runway Supermodel to Multi-Hyphenate Mogul [In Photos]
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
