Over the course of the past two centuries, Ushnakmal has been synonymous with timeless luxury and bespoke handloom in the sphere of fashion. After spending decades as a market leader in the wholesale landscape, RESA by Ushnakmals now carries forward its legacy as a retail atelier specializing in bespoke handloom. Having served seven generations with pride, the new chapter for the fashion house is ushered in by the youngest member of the Ushnakmal clan, Vindhya Tandon.
As connoisseurs of luxury handloom, the parent label’s creations have earned the loving patronage of the country’s elite — from the royalty of Rajasthan to cinema’s most discerning names, including WaheedaRehman, HemaMalini and Neetu Kapoor’s bridal lehenga. With RESA, Vindhya looks to give the heritage-driven label a contemporary update to answer the needs of the modern-day aesthete.
Launched in November 2020 in an attempt to bring the incomparable Ushnakmal experience into the homes of fashion lovers, the new label leverages the family’s generational relations with the master weavers of Banaras to craft pieces that are unparalleled in craftsmanship and lustre. Inside the RESA atelier, the journey starts from a single thread of pure gold, as favoured by the royalty of a bygone era, which then takes form in the skilful hands of Benarasi weavers until a true masterpiece emerges.
The label’s lexicon of handwoven textiles is headlined by katan silk, georgette, monga silk, organza, tissue silk, muslin silk and tussar, among others, which are crafted into an expansive portfolio of styles, including handwoven saris, dupattas, unstitched suit sets, fabric thaans, lehengas and other bespoke creations. Given the hand-woven nature of the creations, a limited number are produced and can involve up to 120 days of meticulous labour to create a weave unlike any other.
The latest festive collection from RESA by Ushnakmals is titled ‘ChaapTilak’, a saga of silk, history and the label’s generational legacy underscored by the timeless melodies of Amir Khusro.
With the magic of Khusro’s composition transporting you back in time across centuries, ‘ChaapTilak’ is a reminiscence of the era when this craft was first experienced and adorned by women, almost instantly transporting their aura into the modern day with the magic and craft of weaves. The collection offers a vivid tapestry of colours, ranging from the softest petal pinks to the glory of jewel tones. The lineup plays host to thirty exclusive saris and thaans, each a masterful amalgamation of craft and couture. Against the canvas of katan silk, brocade, georgette and tissue 
silk, a library of weaving techniques comes to life — from kadhwa and tanchoi to cutwork and embossing.As favoured by the royalty of a bygone era, the showstopper saris are woven with pure gold zari thread by the skilful hands of Benarasi weavers, each a custodian of their legacy. In this collection, fluidity meets structure; the classic mellifluously merges with the contemporary and the old becomes new again — only with RESA.
Looking back, Vindhya credits her family’s legacy as the inspiration for launching RESA. She reminisces, “I sat with my family to understand the history of the fabric and was amazed to know that our journey has spanned eight generations — a tale almost as old and timeless as the thread itself. Today, we serve as connoisseurs of our heritage by ensuring that these time-honoured crafts don’t become extinct and are preserved with full honour, so they can be passed down to the next generation. Through RESA, we seek to ensure that a real gold zari piece in your bridal trousseau is the same as worn by the maharanis back in the day.”
With an eye on creating contemporary classics and a heart rooted in heritage, RESA is a journey that serves to honour the breadth of our culture and the timeless legacy of the Ushnakmals.
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