On Thursday, March 30th, Dior transformed Mumbai’s Gateway of India into a fashion runway which was laden with celebrity, beauty and craftsmanship. The extraordinary decor turned the heritage site of India’s business capital into an amalgamation of colour and style.
The models were lined up to showcase the collection from the Paris fashion house’s 2023 pre-fall.
The runway was set up with traditional Indian floral designs, reverberating with fusion beats from live musicians. Indian artistry and craftsmanship took centre stage in creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s collection show.
This lineup by Maria Grazia Chiuri featured silk dresses, evening coats and sari-inspired skirts that depict traditional Indian silhouettes.
The show's opening featured a variety of neutrals which subtly transitioned to forest green before moving towards the blaze of bright colours and patterns. Throughout the show, all models were spotted wearing a string of pearls necklace.
Maria Grazia Chiuri wrote in an Instagram post, “I personally wanted to celebrate and showcase the incredible knowledge India offers to the international world of fashion in the field of embroidery, the mastery of the artisans who continue to work on this craft, and the commitment of Chanakya’s founders to preserving India’s history and culture, portrayed by each embroidery technique.”
Dior has been associated with Mumbai-based atelier Chanakya for a very long time now. Chanakya works with artisans and underprivileged women. This Dior fashion show brought the spotlight on India’s luxury fashion market.
The Dior runway show saw the presence of some biggest Indian celebrities. Legendary Rekha, fashion icon Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ananya Panday, Shweta Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Mira Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Isha Ambani with Radhika Merchant, Karisma Kapoor and many more market their attendance.
In the recent past, many Indian designers have also opened stores in global fashion capitals like New York and Dubai and have been showcasing their collections during international fashion weeks.