Behind the Scenes — Designing Our Resort Wear Collection
Every First Resort collection starts not with fabric or silhouettes, but with a feeling — a sense of place, a colour memory, a texture encountered on a trip. Here is how a resort wear collection moves from that initial feeling to the finished pieces you see online and in stores.
Quick answer
First Resort collections start with a sense of place — a colour memory, texture, or trip — that translates through fabric, print, and silhouette into a cohesive resort wear range. Hand-detailing, natural fibres, and inclusive sizing (XS-8XL) anchor every design from concept through production.
The design brief
The process begins with a broad creative brief that answers one question: what do we want women to feel when they wear this collection? For First Resort, the answer is always some version of the same thing — free, beautiful, effortlessly put-together. The brief then narrows to a specific mood: a particular coastline, a festival, an architectural palette, a textile tradition.
From this mood board of images, colours, and textures, we identify two or three key themes that will run through the collection — the prints, the colour story, the silhouettes.
Print development
Print development is the heart of the First Resort design process. Each print starts as a digital artwork — a painting, a collage, a drawing — that is then refined for fabric. Scale matters enormously: a print that looks right on a small screen might need significant adjustment to work on a full-length kaftan. Colours are checked for how they will print on each fabric type — the same colour on cotton reads differently than on silk or georgette.
We print test swatches on each fabric before committing to a print — the way a design interacts with the drape and texture of a fabric is only visible once it's actually printed.
Silhouette and fabric selection
First Resort's silhouette vocabulary is intentionally focused: kaftans, maxi and midi dresses, co-ord sets, and tunics. Within each silhouette there are variations — sleeve length, neckline, hem — but the core shapes are consistent across collections. This focus allows us to develop deep expertise in what works in each silhouette and how each fabric behaves in it.
Fabric selection is driven by the end use. Beach and daytime pieces use cotton and viscose for breathability. Evening and occasion pieces use silk and georgette for drape and lustre. Each print is assigned to the fabric that best expresses it.
Grading for size-inclusive production
One of the distinctive parts of First Resort's production process is grading — the process of scaling patterns up and down across the full size range from XS to 8XL. Size-inclusive grading is more complex than standard grading: the proportions of a garment need to be rethought at each size range, not just mathematically scaled. A sleeve that sits correctly at a size S needs to be re-proportioned for an 8XL, not simply enlarged.
We use the same price across all sizes — because the additional work of proper size-inclusive grading is part of our commitment to the customer, not something to pass on.
From sample to production
Each style goes through multiple rounds of sampling before it reaches production. The sample is reviewed for fit, print placement, fabric hand-feel, and finish. Adjustments are made and resampled until the piece meets First Resort's quality standard. Only then does it move to production.
The result is a collection where every piece — from a cotton kaftan at ₹3,500 to an embellished silk occasion piece — has been through the same rigorous development process.
Shop the Collection
Also shop: Kaftans · Dresses · Co-ord Sets · New Arrivals
Also read: How to Choose the Right Kaftan Fabric · All About Resort Wear