Jacquard Chic Sikh

The community is upholding its traditions of sartorial excellence while incorporating the latest trends

- Lachmi Deb Roy

STRIPED turbans pinned with feathers and brooches, lavishly embroidered sherwanis and gloved hands commanding majestic swords—the portraits of the modish rulers of Kapurthala are invariably a sartorial treat. Before Independence, the royal families of Patiala and Kapurthala were forerunners in fashion and luxury, and among the early patrons of labels like Louis Vuitton and Cartier. Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala, an avid traveler, and Francophile sported Louis XV-style wigs, dazzled in Cartier jewellery and traveled with over 60 Louis Vuitton trunks. Cartier designed the legendary Patiala necklace in 1928, especially for Bhupinder Singh of Patiala state. It had 2,930 diamonds and Burmese rubies, including the world’s seventh-largest diamond at the time, De Beers, as its centerpiece.

A century later, chic Sikhs are upholding their traditions of sartorial excellence while incorporating the latest trends. And at its crown lies the turban—the pugree—one of the ‘five Ks’, the religious symbols enjoined by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. “The sense of regality and splendor notwithstanding, a pugree offers a fantastic opportunity to make a statement through its varied textures, colors, and styles,” says Sikh fashion designer J.J. Valaya. “We are developing some beautiful prints for our collection of turbans and are keenly looking forward to their introduction.”