Dior’s Pre-Fall 2023 Collection Is An Ode To Indian’s Savoir Faire
Find everything you need to know about this incredible Dior Pre-Fall 2023 collection.
Maria Grazia Chiuri’s destination Cruise shows for Dior celebrate the craftsmanship of artisans and heritage ateliers around the world, from Seville to Athens. For 2023, fans of Dior and dazzling handiwork alike are in for a treat, as today the Parisian Maison stage a pre-fall show in Mumbai at the Gateway of India. For this pre-fall 2023 collection, the creative director wanted to celebrate Indian’s culture, craftsmanship, excellence in embroidery, embellishment, and textiles.
“I personally wanted to celebrate and showcase the incredible knowledge India offers to the international world of fashion,” she explained in an Instagram post, “In the field of embroidery, the mastery of the artisans who continue to work on this craft, and the commitment of Chanakya’s founders to preserving India’s history and culture, portrayed by each embroidery technique.”
The collection celebrated Dior’s collaboration with the Chanakya School of Craft, a Byculia-based non-profit founded by Monica Shah and Karishma Swali in 2016, where more than 700 women have enrolled in an embroidery curriculum encompassing more than 100 types of stitching. Karishma’s influences could be seen from the wide and striking range of colours, techniques, decorative shapes, motifs, and materials Chiuri chose for this collection. “It was through this relationship with Chanakya that I was able to learn so much about the artisanal embroidery techniques, which are still found in each and every Indian region, and the unique ability of the Chanakya Atelier to put them in dialogue with the fashion industry,” said Chiuri.
The Dior’s pre-fall 2023 collection was inspired by the traditional Indian garments, mapping and tracing the artistic traditions and visual landscapes of India. “This deeply personal tribute to the subcontinent’s culture focused a spotlight on the creative overlap between its wide-ranging mastery of textile crafts and the House’s perpetual devotion to savoir-faire excellence,” The Maison shared in its official account in social media.
The collection featured long silk skirts inspired by the sari, flowy trousers, and elegant evening wear while some of the designs included a captivating pattern, tie-dye, and a colour palette ranging from bright greens and yellows to deep pinks and purple tones. The relevance of embroidery, traditional Indian costumes, or abstract prints to matching pants, fluid silhouettes, tops or jackets were some of the key trends. However, colour gained supreme prominence. Chiuri also made emphasis on jewellery as Mumbai has a long history connected to jewellery making and the diamond trade. On the runway, Chiuri advocated for strings of pearls worn as chokers, whether with a casual white vest top or a woven silk shirt.
“In the House’s ateliers in Paris, the petites mains can be seen exercising their #DiorSavoirFaire in the construction of pieces ahead of the unveiling of #DiorFall23 by Maria Grazia Chiuri at the Mumbai show. From the execution of sari-inspired draping to the precise folds of a rani pink silk dress or the naturalistic imagery of a ‘Jardin Indien’ print top and a colourful patchwork skirt, the garments exude the energy of this creative fusion of France and India.” – From DIOR.
These colours were chosen as a tribute to French designer Marc Bohan who took Dior under the wing for nearly 30 years. He marked a new era for Dior, specifically when dating back to April 1962, creative director Marc Bohan travelled to India (Mumbai and Delhi) to conversate between France and India. This international connection he established also invited younger customers and a more modern design approach into the Maison.
A host of global A-listers sat front row at Dior’s show, from Simone Ashley, Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss, Mile Phakphum Romsaithong, Nattawin Wattanagitiphat, to Sonam Kapoor, Ananya Panday, and more, each in a captivating look from this new collection.
