The Gateway of India in Mumbai, one of the country’s most important monuments, was the setting for the Fall 2023 Dior show. For the occasion, the magnificent structure was fronted by an ephemeral arch, almost eight meters high, covered with a toran, a decorative hanging spectacularly hand-embroidered with symbolic iconography by the master artisans of Chanakya International and the Chanakya School of Craft students, a task that took a total of 35,000 hours. Delineating the runway, thousands of cut flowers combined to form the intricate patterns glowing beneath the lights in two installations extending nearly the length of the esplanade.
Finding a new ingenious way of talking about feelings and emotions that can connect us with a country and its culture is precisely what Maria Grazia Chiuri wished to accomplish in this Dior Fall 2023 collection, with a view to explaining the collaboration, work relations and friendship linking her for many years to India and Karishma Swali, who directs the Chanakya Atelier and the Chanakya School of Craft, in Mumbai. A place of exchange, study, and emancipation for many women, a laboratory to explore different types of savoir-faire that the Creative Director of Dior women’s lines has long celebrated, highlighting thus the visionary spirit of the founding-couturier.
The archives reveal Dior models created by Marc Bohan, the then Artistic Director, who traveled to India in April 1962, notably to Mumbai and Delhi, initiating conversation between France and India. For Marc Bohan, these presentations were significant events, heralding a new departure under his artistic direction: younger customers, and a more dynamic, contemporary approach to fashion and ready-to-wear.
Maria Grazia Chiuri has chosen color palettes and materials that crystalize key influences shared with Karishma Swali of Chanakya. The Creative Director of Dior women’s collections works on timeless clothing shapes that have stayed intact through time, allowing her to (re)design her favorite models. A color block sequence dedicated to silks – in shades of green, yellow, pink and purple –, in homage to Marc Bohan, comes in the form of sophisticated evening coats, sari-inspired straight skirts and traditional Indian cuts, as well as pants, boleros, jackets and tops: a veritable sartorial genealogy defined by different heritages and fashion cultures.
[Photo Credit: Courtesy of Christian Dior – Video Credit: Christian Dior/YouTube]
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