Dior celebrates India through pre-fall showcase in Mumbai

Last night, Dior did not just acknowledge India’s contribution in the French house’s journey so far, but also celebrated it’s position in the luxury market by hosting the pre-fall show at the iconic location of Gateway of India, in Mumbai.

Maria Grazia Chiuri’s creative partnership with India-based Chanakya International has resulted in many of Dior’s most refinery-detailed and craft-forward collections. Her vision to put India’s handicrafts on the map have been made possible by Chanakya’s Karishma Swali’s force painstakingly skilled artisans.

Before the iconic show, the Chankya school of embroidery housed an exhibition showcasing the best of their collaboration with Maria Grazia Chiuri during her ongoing tenure with Dior. Each piece displayed was crafted with techniques rooted in the many rural regions of India. The power duo also addressed the press in a separate event talking about all thing India, craft and it’s repositioning in the luxury market.

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For the first-of-its-kind Dior fashion show at the gateway of India, the opening arc resembled the humble ‘toran’ found in every Indian household. But to give it the Dior treatment, almost 300 types of craft techniques were used to decorate the welcoming point of the runway. The ramp looked like a kaleidoscope of colours, as it was lined with fresh flowers like marigold and sholapith, sealed under glass. Injecting more Indian flavours into vibe of the showcase, models walked the catwalk to the melodious beats of iconic tabla player Anuradha Pal.

India

Dior pre-fall runway show

From tie-dye, Madras checks, Benarasi textiles and intricate mirror and aari work dipped in hues of the land — each ensemble that took the centre stage, represented colours and crafts of India. Maria’s homage to the rich-nation of culture and heritage checked boxes beyond just touching the cord of sentimentality.

Bringng a worldwind of celebrities to the shores of Mumbai — the Dior show was packed with well-known names from across the globe. Whether it was friends of the house like supermodels Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevigne or Bollywood’s own fashion icons like Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and Anushka Sharma — many A-listers were in attendance, dresses in exciting looks by the brand.

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With Dior’s latest outing in India, it will be interesting to see whether or not the country will now be seen beyond just its manufacturing prowess. As a growing player in the global luxury market, it’s about time the nation is given a seat at the decision-making table and not just on the en the embroidery frames behind closed doors.