Dior’s Indian dream

«It was a long-held dream. The desire to celebrate this country of incredible traditions on embroidery, a country that I have been collaborating with for years», Maria Grazia Chiuri told a few minutes before the impressive show held by Dior in a special location. In fact, the Lvmh maison brought its pre-fall 2023 collection to Mumbai, around the metropolis’ Gateway of India monument.

The large arch becomes a doorway covered with Indian patterns, enhanced by candles and two large floral arrangements flowing down the sides. On the runway, hair gathered in small 1920s-inspired waves, smokey eyes shaded makeup, silk and evening coats, tigers and elephants with their trunks held upward, a sign of good luck. Then, low sandals, embroidery pavé turned into dresses to be paired with flip-flops and sari-inspired skirts, referring to traditional Indian silhouettes.

«I started by looking at Marc Bohan’s photos», the Dior’s womenswear creative director explained to MFF. «He came here more than once to hold some shows, both in Delhi and Bombay, invited by the indian government for an exchange between France and India. All the dresses with the draperies and pleats, although they start from a structure with a corset underneath, show clear references to the peplos but also to the sari. There are references to particularly symbolic figures of women in India’s history», such as princess Gayatri Devi, known for her elegance, who began wearing the chiffon sari, creating her own way of being. However, she was also well known for her values, a princess with a heart.

And in front of an audience which included, among others, Delphine Arnault, Laetitia Casta, Deva Cassell, and Beatrice Borromeo Casiraghi, garments took the runway to tell a great passion for craftmanship and a well-established bond. The embroideries were made by Chanakya, a historic embroidery atelier founded in 1984 in Mumbai and now featuring Karishma Swali, the founder’s daughter, as artistic director. The atelier has been collaborating with the roman designer for 30 years, with an understanding signed by the birth, in 2016, of the first women’s embroidery school, an institute with about 110 students a year that was created thanks as well to the support of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Dior.

«I think in this collection emerges the sense of a country where spirituality and hospitality are very strong», Chiuri continued. «I am always struck by the fact that when you arrive here they put a necklace flowers on you and bless you. In that way, you immediately feel very welcomed. Furthermore, I think the most important thing is to recognize the cultural value of India and how, at least for me, this has been a great stimulus for the development of creativity. By being here and through our partnership I was able to do things that in the early 1990s were complex to accomplish. I wanted to celebrate this strong creative connection».

Judgment. More than just a show, a powerful message, a multifaceted path in multiple refractions. It combines the immediate glamour that a fashion show gives and turns the spotlight on collisions with the artistic soul. It secures craftmanship’s know-how to be preserved, with the birth of that local school, for once imagined for women. Empowerment that rhymes with hope. (all rights reserved)