As Managing Director and Creative Director of Chanakya International and the Chanakya School of Craft (their Devi Series was displayed at our 2023 HELLO! India Art Awards!), Karishma Swali is at the heart of India’s efforts to promote and preserve its traditional textiles and crafts, reinterpreting our surface ornamentation techniques for modern designs. Her most recent achievement was one that was broadcast the world over — Chankaya’s showcase of the Dior Retrospective and a show at Mumbai’s Gateway of India that left the world of fashion in awe of its scale and extravagance. HELLO! speaks with the mind spearheading the revival of India’s finest with her Mumbai-based export atelier.
Congratulations on the supreme success of the Dior show! How does it feel to have drawn the focus of global fashion on India?
Thank you for your kind words! The Dior show was a momentous coming together of our shared values, reverence for craft and commitment to women’s emancipation. For years, we’ve taken parts of Mumbai to Paris, and it was truly special for Paris to come to Mumbai. I’m filled with great joy and deep gratitude for Maria Grazia Chiuri and the House of Dior for bringing this vision to life. To be able to share this with the rest of the world makes this experience truly special.
From where did your interest in India’s craft traditions stem?
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Hello! India.
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This story is from the April 2023 edition of Hello! India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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