Recycled fashion continues to have a moment in the sun with the likes of Kim Kardashian West and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, opting for pre-owned luxury. Also, Hyderabadis are now increasingly open to it as pop-ups encouraging resale of pre-owned outfits and accessories which have become a regular feature. Taking a cue from that, city-based Rima Chawla and her sister Sneha Nagpal have come up with an online portal, RISN, which offers high-end pre-worn accessories. “I first became familiar with the vintage culture when I was in the United States. I started appreciating and collecting rare pieces of jewels. My sister (also the co-founder), encouraged me to pursue this, thus the portal was born,” says Rima, elaborating that the platform acquires its name from the first two letters of their names. Curated from all over the world, it is handpicked by Rima or sourced through trusted channels.
When we talk about resale, questions about how well they have been preserved always come to mind. We ask Rima about the same and she informs that these pieces might be old but a lot of care is taken to make sure they are in fantastic condition. “All the pieces go through a rigorous method of selection based on the condition of the jewel, the era, the design culture of those times and most importantly its timeless value in the decades to follow,” says Rima. They have rare pieces that are a collector’s dream come true and in the last couple of months, they have found their niche set of loyalists who appreciate classic, jewels.
Curated jewels from the portal have been worn by A-list celebrities such as Dia Mirza, Tabu, Samantha Akkineni and Kajal Aggarwal. Speaking about the top picks from their present collection, Rima who’s an alumna of Indian Institute of Management says, “Jewels are obtained from the most renowned design houses worldwide like Chanel, Salvatore Ferragamo, Givenchy, Christian Dior and Gucci. At the moment we have an assorted collection of earrings, necklaces, handcuff bracelets for women and the men can shop for cufflinks and brooches.”
The Chanel Chunky Studs dates the back the to the early 1950s and Ferragamo Charm Bracelet from the 1970s. Most of them are minimalist in design and come in a subtle golden hue. The bracelets are also elegant to the hilt. Although most of the collection can be viewed by appointment, one can also reach out to them via Instagram messages. Meanwhile, Rima informs, “Our patrons can soon shop from a full-fledged web-portal that we are working on. Also, there’s a studio in Bengaluru coming up soon.”
Available online.
Rs 8,000 to 1 lakh.