Dior coming to Mumbai! Brand to showcase its 2023 pre-fall collection at Gateway of India
Dior is coming to Mumbai, India for its next fashion show and Mumbaikers are beyond excited! Creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri is all set to present the luxury brand's 2023 pre-fall collection at the historic Gateway of India monument. First of its kind in the country, the standalone show is scheduled for March 30.
The symbolic value of the brand staging a major fashion show at the historic monument in India could be significant, similar to when Fendi staged a fashion show at the Great Wall of China in 2007. For Chiuri, however, the motivation was more personal.
In a conversation with BoF, she said "Fashion is much more than 10 minutes on the runway. It’s all the people that work together on this incredible project. I am doing this show for my love of this country, and how much they support my creativity. It is really something very personal."
The collection will be available in stores from late April. It features evening coats, silk dresses, and sari-inspired skirts that reference ethnic Indian silhouettes.
Some pieces are embellished with intricate embroidery by Chanakya, a Mumbai-based atelier led by Karishma Swali and a craftsmanship school for women. The Atelier has supplied surface ornamentation for a number of European luxury brands and couture houses over the years. Chanakya has also produced several monumental set pieces for some of Chiuri's Paris shows.
"For me to show in India means also to celebrate the heritage of India in embroidery and how important [it is] in the fashion world," Chiuri told BoF.
Chiuri's focus on global craftsmanship is a hit-making formula, which has propelled the 76-year-old luxury brand to new heights. Their annual revenues have tripled since her arrival, according to HSBC estimates.
The creative designer loves to engage with local artisans from around the world and produce limited-edition designs for the brand's cruise collections, which she previously staged in Greece, Morocco and Spain.
