How Dior embodied India's rich heritage with intricate gold embroidery, silver sequins & bewitching motifs

Dior celebrated India’s traditional design, craftsmanship and classical music as the luxury fashion house came down to the country’s business capital, Mumbai, to host its first fashion show at the historic Gateway of India.

The glamorous night was nothing less than high-end fashion’s affair with silk, pearls and sequins. The Paris fashion brand kicked off the show with a classical concert - violin, piano and the cello adding to the musical mood for the evening as celebrities soaked in the style and seams.

India’s Rich Heritage On Display
Not only in its designs, but Dior channelled Indian patterns and colour themes in its decor and ambience as well. The runway was adorned with candles (diyas) forming delicate paisley patterns, rangoli designs made out of colourful flowers. Even the tall structure step-up in the background as an entry and exit point for models walking the runway donned wool stitch work done by hand on a huge canvas.


Adding an authentic Indian touch to the show, the canvas showcased traditional designs and mirror-work featuring elephants, peacocks and floral patterns in gold, mauve and royal red colours.

The location itself deserves a separate mention as Dior’s fashion show took place at the historic Gateway of India with the vast sea in background and the iconic Taj Mahal Palace on one side that was absolutely lit up to add an extra touch of glitter to an otherwise sparkling show.

The Gold, Embroidery & Pearls
Dior kicked off the show with slow classical music crooning in the background, and mind you, the luxe fashion house had a proper set-up of professional musicians playing live tunes during the show, which progressed as the rhythm of the showcase moved onto the next level.

With tunes coming out of tabla, veena, sarod, sitar and harmonium, Dior showcased the 2023 pre-fall collection in a low-key setting with much focus on artsy details and designs.

The luxe brand started with black as models dressed in elegant silk outfits walked in a line on the runway. Dior’s obsession with pearls and gold embroidery work was quite evident with this collection. Long black jackets flaunting intricate gold zari work, Dior soon moved to refreshing shades of violet, lemon green, yellow, pink, purple and mauve before dazzling the show with classic sequins and silk in forms of jackets, long gowns and saree-inspired skirts.

Geometric shapes framed in gold and silver sequins showed off bewitching decorative motifs in this kaleidoscope of colours on the silk of pajamas, blouses and dresses.

We also saw some jungle prints, florals, tiger patterns in royal blue colours on white co-ords and jackets that absolutely stood out. While Dior kept the footwear to minimal in uniform colour of black, chucky pieces made of pearl had a heavy presence at the show which just could not be missed.

The show ended with ‘Om Namah Shiva’ echoing softly in the background as Maria Grazia Chiuri, the creative director of the brand, appeared in the end to take the final bow.

The Vision & Homage To Marc Bohan
The idea or the inspiration behind the collection was simple: It was a collaboration between the luxe brand and India’s rich culture and emotions as Dior and Mumbai’s Chanakya School of Craft joined hands.

The archives showcased at the Mumbai show highlighted Dior models created by Marc Bohan, the then Artistic Director, who had travelled to India in April 1962, notably to Mumbai and Delhi. This visit initiated a conversation between France and India.
The contemporary, heritage patterns and intricate designs showcased at Dior’s Fall 2023 collection paid homage to Bohan’s vision. The French fashion designer spent around 30 years at the house of Dior.