Silks, Jewels, & Legacy: When Indian Maharajas Inspired Global Couture

From Paul Poiret in the 1910s to Yves Saint Laurent in the 1980s, and to Wales Bonner this spring, the Western world of fashion has drawn inspiration from the opulent lifestyle —or rather, their imagination of the opulent lifestyle—of the Maharajas. Throughout the last century or so, A-list designers have showcased their take on the glamorous garments of the Maharajas, some of their collections even based on interpretations of fellow French designers, on the runways of Paris. 

It comes as no surprise that they served as inspiration for the aesthetics of the Maharajas in the form of colourful satin tunics and bejewelled turbans fit perfectly well with the exotic aesthetic and of the India that rode on elephants curated by the Western world.

The World and Indian Royalty

The unimaginably luxurious lifestyle of the Maharajas—whether it was their palaces that remained up-to-date with the current trends of interior design; or their masterfully tailored wardrobes, that in the case of Indira Devi of Cooch Behar included more than 100 jewel-encrusted shoes from Salvatore Ferragamo; or their collections of cars-such as Maharaja Bhupinder Singh’s fleet of Rolls Royces—was in no doubt a point of curiosity and wonder for Western audiences and seems an obvious choice of inspiration for the creators of the lavish couture collections. 

Additionally, the West’s interest in the royals of India was only fueled or fed by acclaimed photographers such as Man Ray, who was often published in popular magazines like Vanity Fair and took the famous portrait of Yeshwant Rao Holkar II, conveying his simple elegance that still hangs in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

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Or reputed royal photographer Cecil Beaton, who captured and conveyed the style of the Indian royals through portraits of Maharani Gayatri Devi and Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II in their Jaipur home. He even went on to photograph for Maharani Gayatri Devi for Vogue and tout her as “one of the ten most beautiful women of the world.” These portraits depicted the grandeur and grace of the Maharajas and Maharani, possibly serving as inspiration for the designers of the future. 

Couture & Crowns

One of the most famous examples of a designer who took inspiration from the royals was Yves Saint Laurent, a known admirer of Indian textiles and dress, whose first solo collection presented a gold and green dress coat with jewelled buttons and complemented with a matching turban with ornaments, visibly influenced by royal India.

In 1982, Saint Laurent also went on to display the India Collection, touted as ‘the rajah line’ by critics, that exclusively focused on his interpretation of traditional clothing, including bandhgalas and sherwanis with gold buttons and turbans with sarpenches, as well as floor-length gowns reminiscent of lehengas, all exploding with colour.

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His collection even got the chance to walk the runway at the Purana Qila in Delhi, accompanied by a show equal to the fabulous quality of the attire displayed. While Yves Saint Laurent never stepped foot on Indian soil, his inspiration stemmed from collections of artefacts and books such as Historic India and Ancient Indian Costume, which he acquired along with his partner Pierre Berge. 

Despite their rivalry, Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld had one thing in common: inspiration from the royals of India for one of their collections. Chanel’s Paris-Bombay collection Spring/Summer 2012 showed Nehru-collared outfits and tunics as well as embroidered attire in bold yet elegant shades of fuchsia and gold, and white complemented with bands of pearls in classic Chanel style. In Lagerfeld’s words, "It's all about refinement. It's the Paris version of the idea of India." Lagerfeld, another designer who hadn’t set foot in India, interpreted Coco Chanel’s interpretation of Indian outfits and claimed to choose the menswear as it was easier to wear.

Countless other designers have stated the Maharajas as an important inspiration, such as John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier- One of the most recent being Wales Bonner, who cited the last Maharaja of Indore Yeshwant Rao Holkar II as one of his primary influences for his Spring/Summer 2026 show, displaying a different kind of royal than the ones seen in previous collections with sharply tailored suits and possibly displaying a more modernized and westernized royals, which brings us to another point. 

While in this article, we’ve evaluated the West’s fascination with the Indian royals, it must be stated that the admiration was mutual. The Princes and Princesses of India had an equal fascination with all things western, becoming significant buyers of brands such as Louis Vuitton to Rolls Royce to Cartier, with Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala even acting as one of the biggest patrons of jewellery houses, curating the famous Patiala Necklace, most recently seen on Emma Chamberlain on the steps of the Met Gala 2022.

Many desired to move westwards and even adapted their dress sensibilities to those of the Western world, most successfully doing so. So it’s safe to conclude that both the Maharajas as well as members of the design world of the West were equally in awe of each other’s style and way of living. 

Authored by Jai Shah for SheThePeople Sartorial Series | Views expressed by the author are their own.