Among the country’s fashion cognoscenti, the pressure began to build in mid-March when it was announced: that French luxury house Dior would present its latest Fall 2023 collection at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai.
The majority of the 99 models were South Asian, a first for the calendar collection, and creating a proud moment in fashion. (Photo by Indranil Mukherjee/AFP) | photo credit: AFP
‘Are you in Dior?’ It soon became a question on loop, as customers, fashion writers, influencers and social groups began planning India’s big fashion moment. After all, while Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino have shown here in the past, this is the first global launch of this scale of a calendar collection. It soon became clear that only a select few would be invited, while the seating capacity of the venue (built to commemorate the visit of King George V in 1911) was numbered at 850. In addition, Dior international celebrities, buyers and the media.
But the show was also about Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s creative director of women’s collections, making good on her promise to take creativity into craft. This is the latest of his many collaborations with Karishma Swali, who directs Chanakya Studio and Chanakya School of Craft in Mumbai. Their relationship dates back a long time, close to three decades, when Churri was at Fendi and Valentino. In his seventh year at the French behemoth, Chiuri is setting the tone for his contemporaries by acknowledging the vital role of Indian craft at the world’s largest luxury fashion house.
Maria Grazia Chiuri and Karishma Swali. , photo credit: sahiba chaudhary
Chiuri, who is the first female artistic director in Dior’s 74-year history, began the collection with black, a gamut of deep purples from chartreuse and queen pink, before moving to a gentle halt with shimmery greys. drove the A welcome splash of Madras checks and block prints grabbed some applause. gown, toile de joy skirt, and trench, sari-inspired skirt with pleats and bows, and knit top with Indian camisole Tie-up in the back (more than a hint of Rajasthan there). But the extra fun came from the long-sleeved dress that buttoned up the sides, with shorts underneath. Off the runway, they were worn by actor Poorna Jagannathan and influencer Mira Rajput.
Models on the runway wore Dior’s Madras check (made by Tamil Nadu weavers Chanakya), queen pink and deep purple. photo credit: AFP
Chury is known for using dance in her runway shows – choreographer Sharon Eyal is a regular collaborator – but for this Indian trip, Indophile turned to live music composed and conducted by Scottish cellist Oliver Coates and featuring India’s symphony orchestra. Pleasantly surprised with. The models walked to the beats of Anuradha Pal’s tabla and multi percussion and danced to Sheela Chandra’s ‘Speaking in Tongues’ and ‘Om Namah Shiva’ excerpts.
Models Pooja Mor and Sumaya. , Photo Credit: Rosella Stephen
Since a majority of the 99 models at the seasonal show were Indian, there was also much talk of it having a South Asian moment. Shreya Chowdhary, an Indian model from New York, mentions endless cups Tea She had her hair and make-up done while another model from Ireland laughed at “the change in fashion as I was in the minority here”. As for the look – hairstylist Guido Palau’s 1920s hair with twin buns and deep-kohl eyes – one of them, Pooja Mor, equated it with Indian princesses. There was some speculation that Chiuri was inspired by Maharani Gayatri Devi. That said, when she was asked a question about unforgettable Indian women at a media session the previous day, the Italian designer had just one name: Rekha. After meeting the veteran actress at a welcome dinner, she was “inspired by esprit de jeunes, his incredible energy”. Meanwhile, in the show, Umrao Jaan The actress stood out among Dior devotees in her signature Kanjeevaram and her Lady Dior bag. it was incredible.
In addition to the waxed finger waves of the 1920s, models also wore twin buns; See here, Pooja Mor and Sumaya. , Photo Credit: Rosella Stephen
But it was the craft that took center stage: on yet wearable ensembles featuring embroidered peacocks and tigers and beaded flowers, which Chiuri paired with multiple strands of pearls and velvet flip-flops. And on Toran who made the background – Team Chanakya took six weeks to make. “He is proud of his work,” Chury said at the pre-show briefing. They know they are doing something great. When he saw the pylon ready, there was great emotion.
“In France, we speak a lot meteor’s dartAnd here in Bombay they do too, about their unique meteor dart” Chiuri continued. He spoke of the deep connection with Swali that resulted from the “excellence of the craft, the savior of a united language, the importance of energy and creativity”. Looking forward to sharing with the world.
select front row
Among the Indian front row celebrities were actresses Rekha, Sonam Kapoor, Ananya Panday and Masaba Gupta as well as entrepreneur Natasha Poonawalla. From out-of-towners, Poorna Jagannathan and Anoushka Shankar were joined by Freida Pinto and Maisie Williams as well as models Letitia Casta and Ujjwala Raut. But as the high-profile guests, mostly in custom Dior, walked down the street from the Taj Mahal Palace to the venue, the loudest cheers were for Thai actors Myle Phakphum Romsathong and Nattawin Wattanagitiphat, best known as Myle and Epo from Kynporsh The Series. is known in
(L-R) 90s supermodel Ujjwala Raut with actress Rekha, actress Sonam Kapoor, sitar player and music artist Anoushka Shankar and Lalit Modi’s daughter Alia Modi. , Photo Credits: ANI Photo and Rosella Stephen
While work on the collection and the much-anticipated soiree began months ago, events including visits to Chanakya workshops have taken place over days. And a retrospective is underway at the city’s Snowball Studio, dedicated to the work done by Indian fine-artist duo Madhavi and Manu Parekh in association with Chanakya, the House of Dior.
Actress Poorna Jagannathan and music artist Anushka celebrate with models after the show. , Photo Credit: Rosella Stephen
Maria Grazia explained that traditionally the craft was handed down from father to son in India, and women haven’t really had the opportunity to express themselves creatively, have financial independence and autonomy, so we started the school decided to dedicate it to women,” added Swali about the project that she shares with Chiuri. “We have come up with a curriculum that is really strong and gives them the opportunity to master a skill We have collectively trained over 1,000 women.”
Dior, which has two boutiques in India, clearly appears committed to the country. In fact, many luxury brands are focusing here. While luxury is nothing new to India, the Indian luxury market is valued at US$6 billion (Euromonitor), compared to China’s at US$53 billion. There is scope for many new investments and we are looking at them. Later this year, the luxurious shopping center Galeries Lafayette in Paris will open its flagship store in Mumbai, and there are plans to launch a Cartier flagship store here as well. Valentino will open a store in Delhi. It’s no secret that Indian ateliers are serving the world’s top luxury houses, but Chiuri has led the way with its Chanakya partnership and announced that Indian embroidery will have a permanent residence at Dior. Earlier this week, he posted on Instagram: “Finally here we are in Mumbai! It is a dream come true to present a collection in a city and a continent that I love dearly. Now let’s hope other international brands follow suit.