The bygone era of the Indian royals was truly splendid with opulence and grandeur and an eye for detail for every element be it design, fashion or lifestyle. The Indian royals inspired the global fashion industry and ordered custom made and exclusively crafted designs from some of the biggest fashion houses in the world. Thinking ahead of their time they were truly fashion icons who possessed some of the most stunning pieces of jewellery, apparels and accessories.
The Patiala necklace by Cartier
Cartier created the most impressive piece of jewellery for Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala in the year 1928. The design comprised of five rows of diamonds set in a platinum chain with the world’s seventh largest diamond from De Beers. The masterpiece took around three years to be completed.
The Indian princesses were renowned for their timeless elegance and poise.
Rani Sita Devi of Kapurthala
Maharani Sita Kumari of Kapurthala, was considered to be one of the best dressed woman in the world. She was a muse for several well renowned photographers like Cecil Beaton and Man Ray. She possessed the most amazing collection of jewellery and was a fashion icon. Her most preferred brands for jewellery were Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. She had a very dramatic style of her own and paired her chiffon sarees with fur coats designed by Mainbocher. Her fashion sense was legendry and inspired couturier Elsa Schiaparelli to create a range of sarees inspired by her style. The collection comprised of elegant American evening wear and was a fusion of saree and a gown. The outfit was a hit in the 1930’s and was a timeless creation.
Maharani Indira Devi of Cooch Bihar
She was yet another beautiful queen who was very fashionable for her time. She was an ardent fan of Western lifestyle and a bespoke shopper of European luxury houses. Her custom made Salvatore Ferragamo wedge sandals crafted in 1938 were very impressive with its Indian influence. She was one of the best hostesses of her time. She shopped for shoes and bags from the greatest designers and was known for her lovely chiffon sarees which were custom made in France.
Maharaja of Kapurthala
Jagatjit Singh, the Maharaja of Kapurthala was an avid traveler and he always travelled in style. He owned over 60 large Louis Vuitton trunks specially designed to accommodate his elaborate trousseau. There were separate dedicated trunks to hold his lavish clothes, suits, turbans, swords, shoes and much more!
We love that the fashion houses, which have won not only our hearts but have dominated the fashion industry for years together, were once catering to the needs of the rich and famous!
