New Delhi’s boulevards are strung with lights, its roundabouts marked by a new BRICS Friendship Rose Garden, and Bharat Mandapam is dressed for its moment as member nations and guest economies gather for the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13. Amid trade communiqués and the New Delhi Declaration, another language is being spoken at the summit: the quiet grammar of diplomatic dressing. On the evening of September 12, following the ceremonial tree planting at Bharat Mandapam, leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia and the UAE assembled for the ritual family photograph, turning a single frame of handshakes and tailored jackets into a study in how nations choose to present themselves.
The Host’s Soft Power
Host-nation style sets the tone for BRICS leaders’ fashion this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sartorial signature, the bandhgala or Nehru jacket, cut close and worn without a tie, has long doubled as understated nation-branding, neither fully Western nor overtly ceremonial.
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India has used this tailored-yet-rooted register at past summits to frame its hospitality, with handwoven textiles and khadi mementoes turning state visits into showcases of the country’s craft heritage.
Suits That Say Nothing
Set against Modi’s tailored diplomacy, the visiting delegations reveal a careful sameness, each following one unspoken rule of diplomatic attire: dress to be photographed beside everyone else without upstaging the room. Look closer, though, and each leader retains a distinct style code.
Xi Jinping (China)
Xi Jinping favours structured, high-collared tailoring that nods to the Zhongshan suit lineage, often in dark navy or black and closed at the top button. Patterned ties rarely feature, keeping his formal wardrobe restrained and distinctly presidential.
Vladimir Putin (Russia)
Vladimir Putin sticks to austere navy or charcoal suiting, usually with little beyond a small flag pin. The absence of pocket squares, visible branding or elaborate accessories keeps his wardrobe deliberately understated.
Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa)
Cyril Ramaphosa wears structured Western suiting for formal sessions, favouring a polished and conventional silhouette. On cultural occasions, patterned shirts or South African textile touches bring a more recognisable connection to home.
Masoud Pezeshkian (Iran)
Masoud Pezeshkian keeps to closed-collar, tieless suiting in muted greys. The modest, pared-back approach is consistent with Iranian presidential convention and keeps the focus firmly on the occasion. The look also sets him apart from leaders who use ties, accessories or stronger tailoring as markers of personal style.
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (Egypt)
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi favours dark, sharply pressed tailoring with minimal accessories. The precise, disciplined appearance also reflects the military background that remains part of his public image. His preference for a controlled silhouette reinforces the formal, authoritative image associated with his public appearances.
Prabowo Subianto (Indonesia)
Prabowo Subianto often pairs a peci cap with dark batik or Western suiting for formal engagements. The combination allows Indonesian cultural identity to remain visible within the otherwise uniform language of diplomatic dressing.
Abiy Ahmed (Ethiopia)
Abiy Ahmed opts for structured suits in neutral tones, keeping his formal wardrobe polished without excessive detailing. A shemma scarf at ceremonial moments adds a subtle reference to Ethiopian heritage.
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Seen together, these wardrobes make fashion part of diplomatic protocol rather than personal display. Dark suiting conveys seriousness, while the absence of obvious branding keeps attention on the occasion rather than the individual. Even delegates from the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance at the family photograph favoured structured silhouettes over statement dressing.
That restraint is what makes diplomatic style worth watching. A pressed lapel, restrained tie or buttoned jacket can signal equal standing among nations that otherwise compete for attention. In the single frame at Bharat Mandapam, the leaders of a multipolar world chose, quite literally, to dress alike.
