Fine and dandy: how luxury houses are embracing a return to refined accoutrements, from British labels Dunhill and Purdey, to Indian fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee

Jun 5 , 2025

Luxury houses are embracing a return to refined accoutrements, with this year’s Met Gala reflecting the trend as A-listers went all out in paying tribute to Black dandyism – among them, musician and actress Teyana Taylor. Photo: AFP

Fancy walking sticks and umbrellas were also out in force at the Met Gala, which paid tribute to Black dandyism – see Shah Rukh Khan, Usher, Central Cee, A$AP Rocky and Teyana Taylor, among others

At this year’s Met Gala, an unexpected accessory emerged as the evening’s quiet stand-out: the walking stick.

Alongside jewel-handled umbrellas, watch fobs and even an ornate monocle, these gentlemanly flourishes added a sense of old-world formality to the event’s “Tailored for You” dress code, a tribute to the tradition of Black dandyism.

A$AP Rocky at the Met Gala with a custom Briony Raymond silver umbrella, set with 90 carats of diamonds. Photo: AFP

Met Gala co-chair A$AP Rocky carried a custom silver umbrella by New York jeweller Briony Raymond, set with 90 carats’ worth of diamonds and with a handle shaped like a revolver (likely a nod to Rocky’s recent acquittal on gun charges, as well as a reference to Umbrella, the 2007 hit by his partner Rihanna).

British rapper Central Cee, meanwhile, held a cane topped with a polished silver sphere, accompanied by a polka dot handkerchief and a pipe fastened to a leather strap. Other A-listers – including Jasmine Tookes, Teyana Taylor, Usher, Miles Chamley-Watson, Babyface, Jonathan Owens and Caleb McLaughlin – arrived with walking sticks spanning traditional to more avant-garde styles.

Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan was dressed by Sabyasachi Mukherjee, his look made complete with this Bengal Tiger Head cane. Photo: Invision/AP

For Indian fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who dressed Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan for the evening, the cane wasn’t just an accessory – it was central to the look. “Shah Rukh Khan is such an important star and often wears very simple, tailored clothing. As an icon, you don’t want to detract from the public image that already exists,” said Mukherjee. “Stars like Shah Rukh Khan don’t need to be dressed in a costume – they’re so big that they just need to be presented as themselves.”

Khan’s cane, designed for the event, was inspired by the regal traditions of the historic region of the subcontinent called Bengal. “I also wanted to evoke the image of Bengal’s nobility, who carried walking sticks often adorned with bejewelled heads of tigers, elephants and lions,” said Mukherjee. “Depending on one’s status, the heads were cast in silver or gold, and for the wealthiest, entirely encrusted with gemstones.”

The Sabyasachi Bengal Tiger Head cane. Photo: Handout

Mukherjee’s creation was a tour de force of craftsmanship: a Bengal tiger’s head cast in 18k gold, its eyes of blue sapphire, its tongue carved from pink tourmaline, and the head adorned with pastel sapphires and old mine-cut diamonds. “The Sabyasachi Bengal Tiger Head cane is a homage to Calcutta’s goldsmithing heritage, with a nod to the colonial influence of British carpentry, creating a look that is global yet rooted in the soul and traditions of India,” he said.

For Mukherjee, such meticulous detail signals a broader shift towards classic elegance. “The internet has made us incredibly lazy,” he notes. “We are no longer as well put together, as everything is taken too casually. Dressing up is important because it instils a sense of formality and discipline. I think the world could use a reminder of standards and the importance of holding oneself to them. The act of dressing up shows effort, and that’s refreshing to see in fashion.”

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