Dior, a high-end fashion label, will create history when it holds its pre-fall 2023 fashion show at Mumbai’s Gateway of India.
The March 30 event will be the first official calendar display for a major European luxury brand to be conducted in India. According to a Business of Fashion article, the collection will include gorgeous evening coats, silk dresses, and skirts influenced by desi silhouettes.
Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Dior creative director, and Mumbai-based atelier Chanakya School Of Craft, which honours India’s embroidered culture and supports female workers, collaborated on the exhibition.
Due to its young population—65% of whom are under the age of 35—and rising number of millionaires, India is a top market for fashion brands. Due to the country’s digital transformation, wealthy fashionistas in tier-2 and tier-3 cities now have easier access to luxury labels, which has increased sales for global luxury brands. The Indian luxury market is expected to increase from $5.9 billion in 2022 to $6.1 billion in 2023, according to Euromonitor.
Dior has a long-standing relationship with India because its haute couture collection for the season of autumn/winter 1955 was influenced by the beautiful needlework seen there. The “Soiree de Lahore” dress, which is off-white with gold and peacock patterning, epitomises classic elegance and has a shoulder drape modelled after an Indian pallu.
Dior’s choice to stage a stand-alone exhibition in India demonstrates its dedication to supporting female artisans and honouring the country’s rich embroidered tradition.