Opulence & Splendour: Mughal Style

Excess didn't used to be a dirty word: it was just the way you deployed it.

Are we are living through an age of extremes? Bitcoin is soaring while most of the population struggles to pay food and heating bills. Fires rage in Los Angeles while temperatures plummet in New York and London; wars grind on gruesomely in the Middle East and Ukraine, while billionaires snap up party pads to install 60 foot private bars and gyms. Fashion is fracturing into those who can afford a a £10k Chanel handbag, and those who haul Shein for $20 tracksuits.

Maybe it’s simply because we are living in the information age, where the attention economy demands shock tactics. News never surfaces of mediocre gains: it’s only extreme content that finds its audience. Witness Donald Trump’s hijack of last week’s headlines, with his plans to invade Greenland, annex Canada and rename the Gulf of Mexico.

If you are feeling punch drunk just reading this, let me soothe you. On at the Victoria and Albert Museum is The Great Mughals, Art, Architecture & Opulence. Regular readers will know I’m no fan of excess these days, however The Historian in the House insisted, and I could never turn down a visit to the V&A. I drove there grumbling about how little history records the struggle of the underclass in India’s Renaissance period, at which The Historian (not a fashion person), looked at me sideways and pointed out luxury has always been a powerful tool for rulers, intrinsic to national culture and industry, and a vital form of diplomacy. “Opulence in royal courts helped promote confidence in nations, and therefore trade,” he said. I thought of Mar e Lago and was not comforted.

Obviously, my reluctance was entirely misplaced as it is another blockbuster exhibition. Exhilarating for its outrageous display of fortune, and equally colourful narrative on a great moment in human achievement. Focussing on three generations of India’s most successful emperors, Akbar, his son Jahangir and grandson Shah Jahan, (about 1560-1660), the exhibition is an extraordinary showcase of artistry and craftsmanship, not to mention wild materials: ruby encrusted daggers, mother of pearl inlaid furniture, enamelled basins, intricately carved jade cups (except jade can’t be carved, it has to be delicately shaped with abrasive materials, which when you are making a detailed serpent head for a drinking cup handle, is a breathtaking achievement), huge woven carpets, colourfully embroidered silks and satins, and books - oh the books! All sorts of calligraphy and rich picture plates, translating captivating histories and mythologies from Persian, Sanskrit, Urdu and Hindi tongues.

A portrait of Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658), a renowned connoisseur of precious stones, wearing necklaces, bracelets, armlets and turban jewels made of very large pearls, spinels and emeralds. He holds a huge, facetted emerald in his left hand

The workmanship on the objects can only be marvelled at, but what really strikes is the patronage bestowed on the arts by the great rulers. Such craftsmanship can only thrive on commission, entirely justified when you see not only the beauy of the object, but how this concerted effort of culture and scholarship united territories as disparate as Iran, Uzbekistan and China.

As for the materials, in those times the rarity of rich textiles, diamonds, rubies and emeralds, ivory and jade, allowed the materials to feel like a showcase for the splendour of the earth. Opulent yes, but excessive no, as each object is a unique moment, hand crafted with highly wrought artistry and respect. That luxury is entwined with culture feels inevitable, harnessed by rulers for the progress of their empires and people. (Historians may call me out here, but my understanding is that these were three rulers who brought peace and prosperity to their people. Although one was definitely a little over fond of his opium and wine).

Across the road from the V&A is Harrods, where you can find similar modern examples of exquisite craftsmanship: crystal chandeliers, hand blown by the same Alsatian company that invented them in the 13th century; the incredible enamelling of Fabergé, the elaborate porcelain of Meissen and cut crystal of Baccarat.

Where you won’t find too much artistry is on the fashion floors. Hand embroidery, fine tailoring and fabric innovation is mostly the preserve of couture these days, not entry level womenswear, where fabric is chosen for its price point and availability. Still, ‘high fashion’ is dressed up in marketing campaigns as if it is luxurious and exclusive, but moments of true craftsmanship are now the rare points in a luxury brand’s inventory list. Mostly, it’s logo t-shirts and mass produced book bags that serve to swell the coffers. Bottega Veneta’s woven leather ‘intrecciato’ technique or Loro Piano’s quest for the finest micron of wool are rare conversations in the luxury world now.

Luxury 2025 is in a very different place from 1625, and yet much of the craft and materials remain the same. New techniques and materials could spring from the bio engineering revolution going on in our science labs right now, a revolution that is developing lab grown dyes and bio silks; textiles grown from algae blooms and seaweed mountains, feather and polyester replaced with wildflower downs, and performance fabrics developed from green chemistry techniques that would negate the need for all the poisonous PFAs coursing through our supply chains. Yet luxury houses lazily lean on another hoodie or parka, another tailored smoking jacket, another version of Italian classic suiting. This is not luxury, this is waste.

As Lauren Sherman, of the industry insider newsletter Puck, said in a new year post: “The majority of luxury goods being sold are ugly, too expensive or unoriginal.” Bold, and true. Executives are being told to shake things up, although I’m sad to see that looks like it’s happening at one of the few brands that really pushes the design envleope - Loewe. Creative Director Jonathan Anderson who has built a ten year legacy at the Spanish brand for avant garde design and a celebration of craft (not to mention quite the most delicious line of fragrance), is apparently now off to Dior, the brand that was exposed for manufacturing its book totes in sweatshop factories last year. It looks like the Proenza Schouler boys are taking over at Loewe, but they have big shoes to fill.

Art and craft is a language without borders, as the Mughals so ably demonstrated. True creativity is the language of possibility, and instead of being one of the most toxic industries on the planet, the luxury and fashion sectors now have an opportunity to exercise restraint in volume, innovation in development and true beauty in the elevation of artistry and craftsmanship. Culture thrives in times of dissent and unrest and the world is broiling with it right now. Time for the artists and makers to get busy.

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