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ABSTRACT
This paper throws light on the dressing sensibilities of a fashion icon of her times – Maharani Sita Devi of Kapurthala, also known as Princess Karam. Born in Uttarakhand in the early 20th century, and married in Punjab, fluent in European languages, she may not have been as popular as Maharani Gayatri Devi, in India, but she was featured in the Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, the great fashion magazines in the 1930s. The trend setting clothing, textiles and accessories that she wore, speak volumes about the styles and the glamour of the Indian princess. While looking at the French and British influences on her sartorial tastes, this paper analyses her clothing, her style and its influence on the western fashion scene in mid-20th century, as well as the forthcoming generations of Punjab.
Key words: Fashion History, sartorial sensibilities, British India, Punjab, Kapurthala.
ABOUT AUTHOR
Dr. Toolika Gupta
Dr Toolika Gupta is the Director of the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design, Jaipur
She is a fashion and textile historian and has presented papers in many national and international conferences. She is a founding member, and the secretary of the Textiles and Clothing Research Center (TCRC), New Delhi. Her research interests include Fashion and textile history, revival of Indian handicrafts and culture, craft cluster initiatives, and craft business incubation. She is on the Board of Studies of many design institutes, a member of CII National committee for Design, and Dean, Design Skills of Rajasthan ILD Skills University.