DK Shivakumar: The future CM wears Prada; Gucci, LV and Ferragamo too

The devil may wear Prada, but DK Shivakumar drapes himself in Gucci, Ferragamo and Louis Vuitton. While many public figures avoid openly acknowledging luxury goods, DK Shivakumar has leaned into his penchant for the finer things, namely cashmere scarves, luxury watches and high-end pens.

Poised to become Karnataka’s next chief minister, Shivakumar is somewhat unique in his lack of hypocrisy when it comes to wearing the things that he likes, especially watches and shawls, according to observers of India’s political scene. He’s never styled himself as a minimalist politician.

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Instead, he’s been candid about his taste for luxury and his right to wear what he pleases. “Do I not have the right to wear a watch of my choice?” he once asked in response to criticism over his Cartier and Rolex watches.

Family assets

Political opponents have frequently mocked his preference for luxury accessories, but Shivakumar has stayed unmoved. He once wore a Louis Vuitton stole during a visit to a garbage segregation plant in Bengaluru. Political sources said he was inspired by former chief minister SM Krishna when it came to luxury labels.

Shivakumar’s signature look is a scarf, preferably Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, Burberry or Fendi, in a once-around wrap style — a drape frequently chosen by public figures to add a polished accent to formal or semi-formal attire without looking overly structured. “He’s among the richest ministers in the country, he can afford to play with brands,” said a senior IAS officer. Shivakumar’s wealth stems from arange of business interests — real estate, infrastructure development, educational institutions and quarrying.

He’s declared combined family assets at more than Rs 1,400 crore, making him one of the richest legislators in the country. But Shivakumar is also a man of the people, said Shankara Guha Dwarakanath, general secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, citing his fondness for the dosas at Bengaluru’s Vidyarthi Bhavan restaurant.

Also, the people of Karnataka are more accepting of a political leader who likes the finer things, he said.

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Politicians elsewhere have found themselves in trouble even over Apple watches and Montblanc pens and typically take care to steer clear of flaunting their style quotient. Shivakumar, who works late into the night and doesn’t sleep much, is also fond of sunglasses, his party colleague said, adding that many of the pricey items that he wears are gifted to him by well-wishers.

And not all his scarves are from couture houses, he added. Besides, he takes scheduled flights rather than charters and avoids VIP lounges, preferring to sit with regular passengers.

The Karnataka leader has also been the Congress party’s quintessential ‘trouble shooter,’ helping to prevent MLAs from getting poached by rivals in Gujarat, Telangana, Maharashtra and elsewhere over the years. He’s also faced the attention of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), having been jailed for about two months in September 2019 over allegations of money laundering and tax evasion.