Tag: maharajah

May 3, 2009 / Collections

All this recent talk of prints and Princes reminded me of the regal state of menswear lately.

Old world princes are to be had whether it’s Rajput or recent influence. Raghavendra Rathore has the lineage – both royal and rag-trade. His family origins date back to the maharajahs of Jodhpur and he’s trained at Parsons, having worked for DKNY and Oscar de la Renta before launching the Rathore Jodhpur label in the mid ’90s.

Indian Prince at Rathore Jodhpur AW09
Modern Indian Prince at Rathore Jodhpur AW09
mahrajah-on-nawanagar
The Maharajah of Nawanagar, b. 1872
Etro's Rock and Roll Regalia
Etro's Rock and Roll Regalia
Etro embellishes their modern heir to the throne with rock and roll cool and colour. Bhupendra Singh of Patiala shows off rocks of a different nature during his reign from 1900-1938.
bhupendra-singh-maharaja-of-patiala
Bhupendra Singh Maharajah of Patilia, b. 1891
March 19, 2009 / Collections

It is precisely moments like these that make me love fashion as much as I do. In the constant barage of images and the homogeny of one fashion week to the next, it happens. Something new emerges – but not for the mere sake of being new. Sometimes a simultaneous moment from the past and the future is captured to enhance our present.

It happened at the Kiran Uttam Ghosh show, part of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week AW09.

kiran-uttam-ghosh-orange-jodhs kiran-uttam-ghosh-jodhs

Echoing the legends of the maharajahs, models emerged in jewel-toned jodhpurs. Paired with plaids and prints, the tones spoke eloquently, rather than screamed in-your-face glamour. Embellishment was certainly evident, but subtle, soft. The patterns may have originated in palaces, but they are not pretentious here, yet still somehow grand.

This is modern India, at its finest.