New Delhi: Diljith Dosanjh’s Met Gala look this year has been nothing short of iconic. Setting the standard for Indian artists appearing at the event, Diljith’s ensemble steeped in the country’s historicity exudes taste, originality and vision.
Amongst the many details, both big and small, that have captivated viewers around the world, one part of his outfit stands out.
Many did not miss the resemblance of Dosnajh’s to the iconic style of the Maharaja of Patiala. Diljith in fact wanted to acquire the Maharaja’s real jewellery piece, the historic Patiala necklace to complete the look. Diljith and his team though were denied the acquisition. They had to settle for making an inspired copy of it, it still drew eyeballs.
According to The New York TimesDiljit’s stylist Abhilasha Devnani said that they had “tried to borrow that iconic Cartier necklace for the night” but were told that it is “sealed in a museum.”
In what can be said to be a curious coincidence at the least, while Dosanjh was unable to borrow the original jewelery piece for the Met Gala, the piece had made its Gala debut before.
In 2022 content creator and social media influencer Emma Chamberlin wore the original Maharaja of Patiala’s diamond piece whose access was reportedly denied to Diljit.
The piece is historic, reportedly first commissioned by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala when he met Jacques Cartier during the jeweler’s first trip to India in 1911. In 1925, Singh traveled to Paris with boxes and boxes of precious jewels, all of which he wanted to be recast by the house of Maison Cartier. Of the commission it is said that a massive ceremonial necklace was also prepared, a part of which is the necklace worn by Chamberlin at the Gala in 2022 and wanted by Diljit for the Gala in 2025.
Then began a series of appearances and disappearance of the jewels, and only after a long time was Cartier able to purchase whatever scraps of the original five-tiered necklace, some were stolen other bought and sold, they could find to authentically restore the historic jewel.
It is this jewellery piece, with a long history of opulence and tradition that has been able to be restored to some vestige of its original grandeur by Cartier. The debate of representation, of how deserved to wear it to the Met, Chamberlain or Dosanjh, may be endless. For now, one can rejoice that, at the least, it is a depiction of the past glory of the East that we can still claim, especially at an event of such prestige as the Met Gala.
