INDIAN INSPIRATION

Dior's Fall 2023 Collection, debuted in Mumbai last March, acknowledges and embraces India's rich culture and craftsmanship.

- SUREKHA GOGULAN

There is something remarkable to say when fashion finds an ingenious way of conveying feelings and emotions that are able to connect us with a country and its culture. For its Fall 2023 Collection, Dior did just that.

For the collection, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri made her boldest move yet by staging her show in Mumbai, celebrating the creative dialogue between herself and Karishma Swali. The latter directs Chanakya Ateliers and Chanakya School of Crafts, which train women in hand embroidery, enabling them to provide for their families or themselves.

On 30 March, under Mumbai's Gateway of India, Chiuri showcased one of her most embroidery-dense collections to date, rich in silks and jewel tones and presented in a mesmerising progression of colour and texture, in collaboration with Chanakya.

The Fall collection, which emphasised the nation's aesthetic traditions, as well as the Rangoli-style flower displays down the runway and the Toran arch, all served as anchors for the show that was firmly rooted in Indian culture.

The first portion of the show saw clothing in neutral colours like black, white, and beige, much like the brand's Fall ready-to-wear collection in February. A twist here: the draping style of the sari had been incorporated into them.