Mumbai hosts the Dior Fall 2023 Fashion Show, celebrating Indian craftsmanship. India and the Christian Dior brand have a long-standing love affair, and many creative conversations fusing innovation and ancestor legacy have honoured their shared history and passions. 

There was no exception at the most recent pre-fall 2023 exhibition hosted at Mumbai's Gateway of India. The show, which was Christian Dior's most recent ambitious project, featured a partnership with Karishma Swali, the creative head of the Chanakya ateliers and the Chanakya School of Craft in Mumbai, which brought to life Maria Grazia Chiuri's passion for Indian needlework and craft.

A total of 99 styles were featured at the show, many of which were created through collaborations concerning color palettes, motifs, mirror work, sequins, and crafts.The show was exceptional because it included 43 international models, 23 Indian models, 33 Indian models with international origins, and 33 models from other countries, all of whom were carefully selected to display the lovely blend of Indian and Western fashion.

The Arabian Sea-facing Gateway of India is one of the city's most well-known features, making Mumbai a symbolic option for the show's location. The 46-foot "Toran," a site-specific artwork just below the Gateway itself, was created through a partnership between the Chanakya Ateliers and Chanakya School of Craft, taking the artistic idea of the show one step further.

In a collaborative effort, the female craftspeople from the Chanakya School of Craft and the master craftspeople from the Chanakya Atelier made the Toran, each using their own design language and selecting which lucky emblems to incorporate. The Toran was handcrafted over the course of 35,000 hours using 25 different craft methods, such as phulkari, mirror work, French knotting, and Kantha.

The Madras check and block printing, as well as tigers, elephants, and peacocks, made an appearance on the catwalk, adding to the collection's easy, carefree shapes that Maria Grazia Chiuri favoured. With its fine fabric, which kept it light despite the mirrors, and the use of jali work with tiny mirrors, embedded pearls, the more formal zardozi embroidery, and aari work, the mirror-studded opera jacket was an outstanding item.

Maria Grazia Chiuri paid tribute to the past in other ways, showcasing her love for peplum and the drape of the fabric around the body, knotting at the waist. Each collection she wanted to make an important reference, and this season she chose the flower that Christian Dior and his sister Catherine Dior loved, made with different techniques. The school made a 3D flower from organza, which she described as magnificent and a piece of art.

The Mumbai show was a celebration of Indian craftsmanship, showcasing the beauty of Indian embroidery and crafts in a fusion with Western fashion. The location for the show was opportune, with the luxury market in India growing fast. Still, Maria Grazia Chiuri's excitement was clearly focused simply on the art, its creation, and perpetuation, and recognition of couture level background and change.