INDIA'S TOILE DE JOUY

Dior's million dreams get translated in a brilliant collaboration between Maria Grazia Chiuri and Karishma Swali of the Chanakya School of Craft. Kenneth Goh travels to Mumbai to witness history in the making 

- Kenneth Goh

While the gateway of India was built for the arrival of King-Emperor George V, his majesty never made it to the subcontinent. But in 2023, Dior, one of the houses considered fashion royalty, finally arrived in this land of plenty, unveiling a magnificent fall runway collection. As guests walked around the open space with a million blooms lining the sides of the cobblestone runway, the scented air around this fabled country was palpable with anticipation of what was to follow. An all-black start to the show was a welcome homage to the traditional kurta and pants in silk and the softest linens, with embroidered hems and touches of metallic threads. Simple slippers shod the mostly local Indian models, made up with a modern rendition of a flapper look with pin-tucked curled hair and kohl-rimmed eyes; and necks, elegantly wrapped in strands of freshwater pearls reminiscent of the Art Deco period.