Lazily scrolling through the bof (Business of Fashion) Instagram page sometime towards the beginning of March, I came across the announcement that made me sit up and take note — French luxury label Dior to showcase its Fall 2023 womenswear collection at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai! Wow!!
Days later, the invite was in my inbox — to attend the historical show on invitation from Christian Dior! Goosebumps!
Many more goosebump moments made up the larger-than-life Dior Fall 2023 presentation at the iconic monument in Mumbai on March 30! The scenography — with the Gateway of India decked out in full Indian splendour, almost like a celebration of Incredible India — stole our hearts the minute we stepped in. Flickering diyas, and elaborate and vibrant floral rangolis decked up the premises while the gate was beautified in the manner of a typical Indian toran, teasing us with a glimpse of the rich craftsmanship of the country that the house of Dior is enamoured by. The dying rays of the setting sun by the sea, the majestic Taj Mahal Palace lit up in all its glory, the dim yellow lights from the diyas and soft instrumental music wafting through the place — all of it combined to create an ambience that, coupled with the feeling that you are in the midst of witnessing history being made, was sure to give you goosebumps!
The stars started walking in — from international actors such as Maisie Williams (of Game of Thrones fame), Cara Delevingne and Simon Ashley (Miss Sharma of Bridgerton), Thai drama stars Mile and Apo — who created quite a stir with hordes of fans chanting their names outside the venue — to Bollywood A-listers, the audience was a select one, befitting the stature of the show. With minutes to go for the show to start, the ever graceful Rekha made an impactful entry, in her signature golden Kanjeevaram and bejewelled! As if on cue, the lights dimmed and it was time for the show to roll!
The collection inspired by “India and its savoir-faire”, as Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director of Women’s Collection, Dior, describes it, was a visual feast and a lesson in how Indian elements combine to create something truly international for the global stage.
First up was a line of separates — skirts, jackets of varying lengths, trousers, blouses, dresses — in black, accentuated with gold and punctuated by white. It slowly gave way to neutrals and more gold — at times muted and at times shimmery.
The toran featuring over 300 kinds of crafts was the focal point of the scenography of the show at the Gateway of India. Pictures: Niveditaa Gupta
Colours crept in, first a line in shades of yellow — bright canary yellow as well as dull yellow ochre in a print with motifs drawn from India. A few isolated greens and blues emerged. A number in gamchha checks stood out. And then with a bang there was a full-blown line in pinks — satiny powder pink to shocking magentas — followed by deep blues and purples.
Traditional Indian embroidery was the hero of the collection and there was a generous dose of shine and shimmer too in the form of full-on glittery short dresses and long gowns in different hues. Blingy skirts were paired with plain tops or the other way round. The show came full circle, ending with a sequence in blacks and whites. Long floor-grazing gowns — off-shoulder voluminous ones as well as one-shoulder sleek ones with thigh slits; easy oversized shirts, loose pants, jackets long and short, boleros, shift dresses, pyjamas, skirts — both structured short ones as well as long draped ones… the array was vast! The vibes were mixed too — easy breezy to glam goddess and many things in between! The models wore their hair close cropped, with dark eyes and strands of pearls around their necks.
That this collection was India inspired was evident not just in the intricate craftsmanship of the embellishments — from the gamchha to tie-and-dye and rich Indian textiles, from the print motifs of Indian flora and fauna, to the skirts influenced by sari drapes and knots… it had India written all over! Yet so international! Rich silks from South India, intricate needlework representing crafts from various parts of the country, use of beads and sequins… the collection shone the spotlight on “both the deep friendship nurtured between Dior and India, and their respective heritages that meet and enrich each other”.
“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 ateliers and the Chanakya School of Craft, in Mumbai,” says a release from Dior.
A day before the show,The Telegraph attended a chat between Maria Grazia Chiuri and Karishma Swali to know more about the association. While Maria has been acquainted with Chanakya and their work with crafts heritage of India since 1992, it was in 2015 that they together conceptualised the Chanakya School of Craft.
The toran was made by women of the Chanakya School of Craft and it uses more than 1,000 patches. Pictures: Niveditaa Gupta
“It was in 2015 that we felt the need to preserve because in my lifetime I have seen some crafts disappear. We wanted to build this institution… we spoke about it and from the onset we decided to do this together… we created this beautiful space,” recalled Karishma.“I think it is beautiful because you can realise something with your hand.... Crafts are treated differently in different countries…. I learnt the craft from my mother, for her the craft was not a choice, it was a necessity, she worked as a seamstress… but for me it was a choice. In some countries crafts are treated like art… like in France, in Paris, it is treated like art… that is very important,” said Maria. “It is important to train the new generation in these arts…. you know, in India the transmission of the skills is from the father to the son, while in Italy it is from the mother to the daughter,” she added.A dialogue with the crafts has been at the heart of Dior. “Not all the companies have the same level of embroidery. At Dior, we are talking about that level of haute couture… the textile, the embroidery, the accessories… there is very high sensitivity about these… I think it’s part of their value as a brand…,” added Maria.
Inviting the media for a special opportunity to visit the Chanakya archives and atelier, Karishma said, “We at Chanakya School of Craft have created artistic installations around the main cosmos and the tree of life…. People can see the artisans will be demonstrating their work live so that people are able to realise how much skill is actually required before it becomes your style….”Maria added, “Normally fashion shows are super short and it’s impossible to show… sometimes a fashion show is not enough to show the hard work that has gone behind the collection….”Karishma steered the conversation to the toran that was part of the scenography of the Dior show at the Gateway of India. “We would also like to share with everyone the idea of the toran that the Chakanya School of Craft has created for us,” she started. And Maria continued, “The idea of the toran was to express how much welcome I feel in this country. I thought it would be great because people put it on the top of their house in India and it welcomes people.”
Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director of Women’s Collection, Dior, in conversation with Karishma Swali, artistic director of Chanakya
Karishma shared how the toran has historically been a community activity for women for centuries. “And every state has their own toran, every state has their own way of expressing welcome and warmth. We thought there couldn’t be a more fitting way to welcome people to Dior. We welcome everyone to experience our craft so the toran has been imagined and hand-crafted by the women at Chanakya School of Craft. It uses more than 1,000 patches and we have used over 300 different genres of craft. And each woman has chosen their symbol of luck, their way to express welcome,” said Karishma. Maria added, “It was really a dream and it was possible to realise that because of Karishma. The artisans are proud of their artwork… when they showed the toran, there were emotions behind it.”
The chat ended with Maria picking the most beautiful women she has come across in India. “Beautiful, magnificent women I see here… Karishma I think is very beautiful… I came across some incredible women photographers in India…. Last night we met Rekha and she was so fascinating… I was so fascinated by her energy… she has an energy that was incredible… I would love to have that kind of energy,” she said with a smile.
THE G ALAXY AT THE DIOR SHOW
