Sanskruti Chhitarka
Last night was no ordinary day for the fashion community in India, as Mumbai was woven into a historic moment with the French haute couture brand Dior. The Pre-Fall 2023 show took place at the symbolic Gateway of India overlooking the Arabian Sea. Maria Grazia Chiuri, the brand’s artistic director of women’s collections, started a new discussion through this collection, showcasing colors, techniques, silhouettes, and styles that resonated with the country’s culture, shedding light on Maria Grazia’s affection and appreciation for India. The collection was a collaboration between Dior and Karishma Swali, the director of the Chanakya Atelier and the Chanakya School of Crafts in Mumbai. Chiuri and Karishma, who have known each other for 25 years, wanted to focus on how textile and embroidery can be the driving forces of fashion.
The presentation, which featured 99 different styles, was special since many of the looks were developed with regard to the color scheme, motifs, mirror work, sequins, and crafts.
Among the carefully curated list of models were 43 international models, 33 Indian models with international backgrounds, and 23 Indian models.
The French luxury fashion house has become known for its interesting show venues in the past few years, such as the men’s pre-fall exhibition that lit up the Pyramids of Giza in December and the Harrods facade takeover during the previous holiday season in London.
The 46-foot “Toran,” a site-specific artwork below the Gateway itself, was created through a partnership between the Chanakya Ateliers and Chanakya School of Craft, artistically expanding on the idea of a new doorway. Indian women have been making torans for ages as a way to decorate regional fabric with embroidery and patchwork to welcome guests into their homes.
The toran was created by female craftspeople from the Chanakya School of Craft and master craftspeople from the Chanakya Atelier. Each group used its own design language and selected which lucky symbols to include in the toran. To produce this project, they collaborated for several months, put in 35,000 hours of manual labor, and used 25 different craft techniques, including phulkari, mirror work, french knotting, and kantha, among others. The stunning Toran is decorated with elephants, mandalas, lotuses, kamadhenu, tigers, and peacocks to welcome visitors and invite them to explore India’s rich cultural heritage.
The Mumbai exhibition brought the city and the Indian market the credit that had been long overdue. The craft and needlework supplemented the easy, casual silhouettes that Chiuri preferred in the collection. Additionally, it has been 60 years since Dior models visited Bombay for the brand’s joint Air-India and spring/summer 1962 couture presentation. When Marc Bohan was designing Dior in Bombay in April 1962, the Time and Talents Club, Femina, and the Alliance Française supported it.
Chiuri drew inspiration from those documents, and this show incorporated various aspects of her own life, such as her love of peplums and the way the cloth is draped over the body before knotting at the waist. Together with tigers, elephants, and peacocks, the runway included Madras check and block printing.
Chiuri also talked about recognizing the high levels of quality available across the globe. Not only are Milan and Paris the home of couture, but particular businesses with a couture-level heritage can be found in various nations, such as Chanakya, a couture brand. This needs to be accepted, and changes should be made accordingly.
Some other notable attendees at the show included business magnate Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani, who have been known to be avid supporters of the arts and fashion.
Overall, the Dior Pre-Fall 2023 show in Mumbai was a historic moment for the Indian fashion community. The collaboration between Dior and the Chanakya Atelier showcased the rich cultural heritage of India through the use of traditional textiles and embroidery techniques, while also incorporating Dior’s signature style and aesthetic. The show’s location at the Gateway of India, overlooking the Arabian Sea, added to the grandeur of the event and further cemented Mumbai’s position as a rising hub for luxury fashion.
While the show was a major success, it also highlighted the need for greater recognition of Indian artisans and craftspeople in the global fashion industry. As Maria Grazia Chiuri noted in her interview with WWD, there are many couture-level businesses across the world, including in India, that need to be acknowledged and given more opportunities to showcase their talents.
Overall, the Dior Pre-Fall 2023 show was a celebration of India’s rich cultural heritage and the global impact of fashion. It brought together fashion influencers, celebrities, and industry leaders from around the world to showcase the best of what India has to offer.
References:
1.https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/dior-displays-art-of-india-in-mumbai-show-pre-fall-1235599954/
2.https://www.cnbctv18.com/lifestyle/dior-2023-pre-fall-collection-to-be-presented-at-gateway-of-india-in-mumbai-with-local-collaboration-16302981.html
3. https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/mumbai-ready-to-embroider-itself-into-historic-moment-with-christian-dior-strong-1235598055/
