On Thursday, Dior held a momentous fashion show in Mumbai, acknowledging India's longstanding role in manufacturing high fashion in Europe and the growing influence of its luxury consumers.
Against the striking backdrop of the Gateway of India monument, the French label unveiled its Pre-Fall collection to a glamorous audience, which included renowned Bollywood icons such as Rekha, Sonam Kapoor, and Anushka Sharma, as well as model Cara Delevingne and actor Maisie Williams. The location was evidently a significant source of inspiration, as the runway was embellished with marigold and diya lamps, and the clothing boasted Madras check and Benarasi brocade fabrics, mirror work, tie-dye detailing, Nehru collars, and kurta tailoring. Dior's Pre-Fall collection was exhibited on a warm evening in Mumbai.
Although a few major Western brands like Pierre Cardin in 1967, Yves Saint Laurent in 1989, and Valentino in 2004 have hosted one-off shows in India, Dior is the first to include the country in its regular seasonal schedules. Typically, luxury brands showcase their Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter collections at one of the "big four" fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. However, they often look beyond these locations to display their Pre-Fall and Cruise lines. Dior's decision to choose Mumbai for its fashion show comes at a time when the luxury industry is increasingly bullish in India. According to Anul Sareen, senior research analyst at business intelligence firm Euromonitor, Indian shoppers have become a major force in the fashion industry, with the country's disposable income levels rising by more than 24% between 2019 and 2022.
Since the 17th century, Indian artisans have had connections to French high fashion. During this time, tailors from the royal courts of Europe would acquire textiles from the subcontinent. Presently, a noteworthy proportion of the luxury industry's supply chain is outsourced to India. Rahul Mishra, the first Indian designer to be invited to showcase a runway collection during Haute Couture season in Paris in 2020, stated that "during the process of its making, a garment spends more time in India than it does in Europe because of textile production and surface ornamentation." Mishra's collection displayed bold and vibrant colors, including pinks, purples, rich blues, and chartreuse yellows.
Indian fabrics are often labeled as "made" in Europe because they are assembled there, even though they are produced in India. This practice leaves many Indian ateliers feeling unrecognized for their contribution. Adajania explains that luxury brands work closely with Indian embroidery houses but ensure that they do not receive credit for their work. Although industry insiders have always known about India's contribution, consumers are not aware of it. For Karishma Swali, the artistic director of Chanakya International and Chanakya School of Craft, seeing her atelier's creations on an Indian runway was a significant achievement. She expressed that her team had brought parts of Mumbai to Paris for years, and having Paris come to Mumbai means the world to them.
