Indian Textiles & the West: Why the Dior Mumbai Show & NMACC Needs a Critical Eye
Is it praise long overdue or a nod to culture for new audience approvals?
The most-awaited Dior Fall 2023 was held in the lands where rent is the sarcastic joke in conversation instead of the weather. Mumbai being the true Gateway of India hosted the contemporary looks by the team of Chiuri and Chanakya School of Craft. As a celebratory ode towards the artisans of India and the history of handicrafts, the collection focuses on the intermingling of the two cultures in a win-win situation.
However, can luxury brands collaborating with individuals who practice slow fashion truly be an equal opportunity for growth? This year’s Dior collection has opened multiple viewpoints to find yours.
Notes on the Collection
The collection in itself was a simple one, with straight kurta silhouettes decorated with Indian embroidery. A foolproof approach to contemporization, one might critically mention. It wasn’t devoid of direct representations of Western fabrics though, with rethought puffer jackets and structured coats paired with lousy skirts that take cues from lungi drapes and the ever-present chappals (slippers).
One detail to note was the direct representation of flapper style from the 1920s: The wavy, side-swept bob cut with pearl chokers that simultaneously was an ode to the maharajas and layered necklaces the flappers regularly wore. The oversized kurta shirts with printed skirts and chappals may not be everyone’s preferred office look, but it had Indian connections.
Multiple articles before this mention the use of a variety of handcrafted prints, weaves, and embroidery. The shibori tie & dye in pseudo-rani colour over a white base, the chaand jaali that was a revered revival that showed a mesh of intricate silver thread work, Madras checks, Banarasi brocade and more.
In a transition from one ensemble to another, it was impeccably executed. It was evident that the former garments in an uber-western look gave way to its contemporary Indian renditions.
Yet, even with the guerilla marketing of this show (when Dior is known to usually pick one of the four famous fashion capitals), it is derision to have Chanakya in the shadows, with hardly any Indian knowing its whereabouts before the show. Does this only mean to show how we as Indians underestimate the heritage of textiles? And do we always need the hand-holding of a big, luxury brand to recognize artisanal talent?
Textile murals of Dior couture shows are commissioned from the women artisans associated with Chanakya, and no matter the school’s position, it is a big step by Dior in appreciating these artisans by bringing their work to the forefront through a notable collection.
Being one of the first brands in the modern fashion age to showcase in India gives Maria Grazia the first-mover advantage, and the NMACC opening shortly after proves as a great catalyst for other luxury brands to follow suit.
Different Viewpoints & an Ode to Handicrafts
The reason for undermining our own culture can detangle us. Maybe Indians overlook out every day as the ordinary, while someone from a vastly contrasting culture, say, fashion journalist Sarah Mower, may romanticize even the hustle-bustle of Mumbai’s jam-packed living conditions.
“Even to drive through Mumbai to the Chanakya Ateliers is to be visually overwhelmed by the city’s burgeoning nature: the lush green foliage, the tiny flowers, and manicured miniature topiary, the banyan trees lining streets, the overhanging cascades of bougainvillea.” she mentions in her article on the show, “In Mumbai, a talent for decoration, for the possibility of making things, and changing whatever little one has for the better are collective qualities that have been long-forgotten in parts of the West.”
The confluence of East and West ideologies have always been fascinating. From Indians touting how the West desires their age-old heritage and the East extending a gesture of gratitude once in three decades or so, knowing the power they hold over the mindset of the youth.
Artistic Director Karishma Swali and Chiuri have had a close relationship for over 30 years, with most garments by Dior spending more time in India for its production than in Paris. No doubt the acknowledgment was long overdue for Indian artisans and their karkhanas (ateliers).
“While some in the fashion world are applauding Dior’s recent show, coverage often ignores Dior’s history of inequitable exchange with India and its artisans.” mentions The Juggernaut in an article.
Interactions between Artisans and Luxury Labels
The timing for the show was strategically planned as it caters to the increasing luxury sector of India. With the disposable income of the youth jumping to more than 24% from 2019 to 2022, luxury brands are capturing and generating demands for branded products, which maintains their growth. The marketing too seems as a PR stunt at best.
The Dior video for the preparation of the Mumbai show seems too shy of information, often at the expense of a local voice, with Chiuri talking about how she loved a particular colour of a textile at most. What seemed missing was the actual voice of the creator, the artisans, who sewed every seam and floral motif to bring life to the collection.
“The latter (artisans) seemed to be the ‘worker bees’ behind the scenes who perform the labour of creating runway looks — yet they are never credited as artists, nor are they given any say in what we showcase to the world as Indian fashion & culture.” mentions The Swaddle. Something as simple as a lineup of all the artisans at the end of the show would’ve solved the issue of class playing a role and a select few perennially being in the limelight.
From Alia Batt, PC & Nick to Cara Delevingne, the list of celebrities at the event was never-ending. Not to mention the opening of NMACC that highlighted the notable elites more than the actual sneak peek at the curation by Hamish Bowles.
Yet, even if the message of handicraft and sustainability is to be spread through the likes of Bollywood A-listers, why is it that the information is blurry with jargon at best? “There was no curatorial note visible, no sound bytes from them …and a vintage Benarasi got holographic sequins bustier with it. Sustainability, responsibility and marine life be damned.” mentions Susan Thomas, director at NIFT Bengaluru in her Instagram post.
It is exactly this carelessness that makes it difficult to take fashion seriously in India. For fashion to be considered academia, it needs the rigor that is beyond just the news headlines of Gigi getting a peck from Dhawan.
In a nutshell, it is a deep underlying respect for the artisans rooted in their culture is missing in the equation for bringing high fashion luxury and handicraft couture on the same pedestal, and while the elites do bring their wave of media as a trail of the press, it is important to shed the camera lights towards the ones in action behind the scenes eloquently.
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A huge thanks to @anilawilson for her inputs and opinions.
It was almost frustrating to find high-quality images of the models who were a part of the show (I mostly came across celebrity content). The shoot of the show has a deliberate blurriness to most models walking the runway, but I hope you understand my limitations to view the event through the lens of a netizen.
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