Dior fashion week 2023
The news that the French fashion house Dior would be showcasing its most recent Fall 2023 collection at Mumbai’s famous Gateway of India caused pressure to start building among the nation’s fashion elite in mid-March. As customers, fashion bloggers, influencers, and the social set started making plans for India’s major fashion moment. The message asking “Are you at Dior?” quickly went viral.
Since this is the first worldwide debut of a calendar collection of this size, even though Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, and Valentino have previously held shows here. The venue could only hold 850 people. It was obvious that only a few guests would get the privilege to attend the function. Additionally, Dior was bringing down foreign reporters, buyers, and international celebrities.
In addition, this show was about Maria Chiuri fulfilling her pledge to bring innovation up to the level of craft. Maria Chiuri is the creative head of Dior’s women’s collection. It is the most recent of her numerous projects in partnership with Karishma Swali. She oversees the Chanakya ateliers and the Chanakya School of Craft in Mumbai. From the time Chiuri worked at Fendi and Valentino, their friendship has lasted for almost three decades. It is her seventh year working at the French behemoth. Chiuri is setting the tone of her contemporaries by acknowledging the significant role Indian crafts play in the world’s biggest fashion house.
In Dior’s 74-year existence. Chiuri is the brand’s first female creative director. The show started with Chiuri starting the collection with black and moved through chartreuse and towards rani pink. Slowly she then moved with deep purple and finally came to a soft halt with shimmering grey.
A welcome splash of Madras checks and block print garnered praise and applause. Gowns, toile de jouy skirts and trenches, sari-inspired skirts with pleats and bows, and knit shirts with Indian choli tie-ups in the back there was more than a suggestion of Rajasthan attire.
The long, sleeveless dresses with shorts underneath had buttons on the sides and added a little additional excitement. Influencer Mira Rajput and actress Poorna Jagannathan both wore clothes straight off the catwalk.
The Symphony Orchestra of India was featured in live music written and led by Scottish cellist Oliver Coates for Chiuri’s Indian excursion. Chiuri is renowned for using dance in her catwalk performances. Dancer Sharon Eyal is a frequent collaborator, but this time it was quite different.
The opulent yet practical outfits with embroidered peacocks, lions, and beaded blossoms were where the craft really stood out. Chiuru was wearing satin flip-flops and several chains of pearls.
Anuradha Pal’s tablas, multi-percussions, and Sheila Chandra’s “Om Namaha Shiva” provided the string rhythm for the models as they strolled the runway. There was a lot of discussion about this being a South Asian moment because the bulk of the 99 models at this yearly event was Indian.
Actress Rekha, Sonam Kapoor, Ananya Pandey, and Masaba Gupta, as well as businesswoman Natasha Poonamwalla, were among the front-row VIPs for the night.