Indian Odyssey

INDIAN
ODYSSEY

On March 30^th, 2023, Dior presented its Fall 2023 women’s line in the heart of Mumbai. An intense evening seemingly suspended in time, accompanied by a series of unique exhibitions reflecting the enduring ties between the House and India. An invitation to travel and to dream.

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Live Music Composed and conducted by Oliver Coates. Tablas & Multi Percussions by Anuradha Pal. With the musicians of the Symphony Orchestra of India. Indian instruments by Imran Khan, Chetan Joshi, Sangeet Mishra and Tushar Raturi. Contains excerpts of "Speaking In Tongues I" and "Om Namaha Shiva" by Sheila Chandra.

Night had already enveloped Mumbai as the first silhouette from the Dior Fall 2023 women’s collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri appeared at the edge of The Gateway of India^*, a historic monument that gives onto the sea and the horizon. A total look in black of eminently Indian grace entered the scene beneath the arch of a toran, a prodigious, nearly eight-metre-high work created by the Chanakya School of Craft. An ornament celebrating an age-old tradition perpetuated by Indian women who punctuate symbolic fabrics with embroidery and patchwork as a welcome to guests in their homes.

This was not simply the setting for a show; it was the metaphorical incarnation of a pluralistic encounter, informed by love and inspiration, between Dior and India. Deploying their various skills, the craftswomen produced the toran by hand, shining a spotlight on the codes of an art that is taught from generation to generation. It is a textile script infused with their aspirations, allowing them to express their vision of the world in a meaningful way through no less than twenty-five techniques, including phulkari, mirror embroidery, knot stitch and kantha.

^*With the support of Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra and the Indian Authorities in Mumbai.

Guests gazing at the set design and the models registered an emotion crystallized by a precious moment and a milestone for the House that, since its founding, has been linked to this unendingly multi-faceted country. The burning, flamboyant collective energy emanating from each gesture, from the backstage to the runway, and in each detail – from the floral tableaux on the floor to the powerful music – paid homage to the manifold beauties of Indian culture, as did the collection’s vivid, absolute colours.

In an ode to elegance and purity, tunics, knotted skirts and draped dresses were made of silk woven in the state of Tamil Nadu, in southern India, according to ancient practices. With their modern cuts, these creations were enhanced, in turn, with flowers or checks in a profusion of acidic hues.

Epitomizing the magic of needlework and a diversity of regional crafts, straight pants and long skirts were embellished with beads and sequins, invoking several types of metallic thread embroidery – such as zardozi – and illustrating the audacious spirit of the ateliers. Embroidery became a fabric unto itself, transforming into enchanting iridescent lace on an outfit composed of a skirt and a sleeveless top that attests to a unique virtuosity.

This show offered an opportunity for Maria Grazia Chiuri to celebrate her thirty-year friendship with Karishma Swali, Chanakya’s Artistic Director, and to (re)establish her abiding affinity with local artisans. An ensemble of patchworked pieces designed using a process of hand-sewn appliqué was further elevated with geometric designs reinterpreting elements from Indian landscapes and recalling the lush motifs that flourish on toile de Jouy. A creative dialogue, cast through the prism of sharing and transmission.

Several events punctuated this journey, opening a fresh page in a fascinating story. A series of exhibitions and demonstrations revealed the richness of Dior’s collaboration with Chanakya through the seasons. At an immersive experience in the Byculla district, visitors were able to discover many Indian techniques as well as priceless historical pieces – chosen from among Chanakya’s 10,000 creations, translating the pluralistic language of craftsmanship – and exceptional silhouettes selected from sixteen Dior collections.

At the Snowball Studios, a retrospective entitled Mūl Māthī from the roots celebrated the artists Madhvi and Manu Parekh, whose paintings here were reinterpreted through embroidery. Blending innovation and heritage, the artisans captured the minute tonal variations and the sweeping, textured movement of brushstrokes. For the first time in India, these wonderfully delicate hybrid paintings were unveiled alongside some of the original works that inspired them. Last but not least: an exhibition entitled Cosmic Garden presented the infinitely prolific, ardent exchanges between Madhvi and Manu Parekh and Karishma Swali through the no less passionate vision of the Italian curators Maria Alicata and Paola Ugolini.

A fabulous odyssey transcending time and nations, that wove a dream itinerary between various places and creative bonds, from Paris to Mumbai. An exploration in the spirit of poetic excellence.