About us
Founded by designer Nandhitha Ramesh, Merasal is a heady potpourri of ready-to-wear Indo-western & ethnic outfits for women. The meaning of ‘Merasal’ can’t be hunted down in a dictionary. It is an emotion. One that makes hearts stops and heads turn.
The brand can be best described as a theatrical mishmash of bright colors and bold motifs, as well as pleasing pastel palettes. Brightly decorated elephants, la-di-da cats & cheerful popsicles make an appearance on Merasal’s motifs that are choc-a-bloc with quirk and character! Designs are crafted using methodologies of artisanal thread work that are hand embroidered on summer-ready fabrics like cottons, khadis, organzas, linens and jute.
Merasal’s USP is the unconventional interplay of fabrics – otherwise traditional cotton dresses meet spirited kalamkari ruffles and silk cotton saris get splashed with cheerful bandhini borders. The outfits are constantly-evolving with unique styling and playful takes on traditional silhouettes with contrast piping, crossover pleats, flowy silhouettes and more.
About the designer
After graduating from the London College of Fashion, Nandhitha gave up the corporate life in 2011, went on to start a bespoke tailoring studio called Turquoise Design Studio, and established the brand, Merasal in 2016.
Stiff boardroom meetings quickly transitioned to creative mood boards pinned with a patchwork of designs, fabric, cut-outs and colour – an exercise that Nandhitha says is integral to her creative process.
After chalking down the basic design idea on a mood board, she focusses on sourcing and dying the fabrics, drafting sketches and deciding on embellishments and extra trimmings.
Perhaps Nandhitha’s collection of work best reflects her design philosophy – in that she wants people to stop, and take notice of the women she dresses. Bold brush strokes, explosions of colour and a splash of motifs that draw inspiration from mythologies, culture, cinema and nature melt deliciously to form prêt-a-porter ensembles that reflect elements of joy, color and movement.