5 Indian Designers Who Have Dressed Royals
It’s no secret that royals across the world have inspired Indian designers to create collections over the years. But did you know, many present-day members of royal families also reciprocate the love and have been known to don creations by Indian designers?
Whether it’s for their tours in the country or for important engagements around the world, there have been many instances where royals have turned to Indian couturiers for their sartorial choices.
From Anita Dongre being a favourite of European royalty to Manav Gangwani wowing the world with his creation for the Queen of Bhutan recently, here are five Indian designers whose creations have been worn by royalty…
The Duke & Duchess Of Cambridge Visit India & Bhutan - Day 1
Anita Dongre
Aside from pioneering the sustainable fashion movement in India, Anita Dongre is also known for dressing royalty. When Kate Middleton was on a tour of India and Bhutan in 2016, the royal chose a dress from Dongre’s collection and was widely photographed wearing the breezy tunic dress while playing cricket. Later, she was also spotted wearing jewellery from Dongre’s Pink City collection for a reception at Buckingham Palace. In 2017, Queen Mathilde of Belgium also wore the designer’s creations for a tour of India. Beyonce, not an official member of any royal family but a queen nonetheless, also wore jewellery from the Pink City collection while performing at Isha Ambani’s wedding ceremony.
Queen of Bhutan in Manav Gangwani
Manav Gangwani
One of the most talked about events of recent times was the wedding of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Khaled bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saif. The extravagant ceremony was attended by royals from around the world, including the Queen of Bhutan who chose to wear a custom creation by Indian couturier Manav Gangwani. The designer used the traditional Bhutanese formal attire for inspiration and created a beautiful, elaborately handcrafted three-piece creation using Era silk from the neighbouring Indian state of Assam.
Royal Ascot 2023 - Saturday
Priyanka Mallick
A young designer from West Bengal, Priyanka Mallick’s designs were specially selected for a commission for Queen Camilla’s outfit for the coronation ceremony of King Charles. The designer also made a beautiful butterfly brooch for the new monarch and was invited for a Coronation Lunch ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Princess Diana in Lahore (1997)
Ritu Kumar
The veteran Indian designer recently revealed that one of her most famous patrons was the beloved Princess Diana. The designer shared an old photograph on her Instagram in 2021 where Diana could be seen wearing one of Ritu Kumar’s salwar kameez sets during her 1997 tour of Lahore, Pakistan. According to Kumar, Diana was especially fond of the designer and often broke protocol to visit the store in London.
The Duke & Duchess Of Cambridge Visit India & Bhutan - Day 7
Naeem Khan
On the same 2016 tour of India and Bhutan where Kate Middleton wore Anita Dongre’s creations, the royal chose a dress from Naeem Khan’s resort 2015 collection for a visit to Taj Mahal in Agra. Middleton chose a white and blue dress by the Indian-American designer to recreate the iconic picture of Diana on the bench in front of the monument.
