Dior Fall 2023: 9 A+ Looks

India is a huge player in fashion, although perhaps not in the same way that we often regard fashion capitals the likes of Paris, Milan, and London. Its presence in the industry at large, mainly remains behind-the-scenes as textile manufacturers and labour-intensive handcrafts. The latter includes embroidery work that many luxury fashion brands have made use of (at times, silently) for decades.

Dior is one of them. And of late, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri as well as the fashion house have made it a point to highlight the skilled practitioners of Mumbai’s Chanakya School of Craft involved in creating the embroidered scenography of its many runway shows as well as pieces ranging from ready-to-wear to accessories.

The Dior fall 2023 runway show was held in India to both celebrate this relationship as well as to strengthen the connection that Dior has had with India since the 1960s. Former artistic director Marc Bohan first travelled to India in 1962 and initiated conversations between the two countries. The Dior fall 2023 collection reference this through Dior’s archival silhouettes that came out of that initial spark between the house and India.

There was an overall sense of ease to the Dior fall 2023 collection. Chiuri’s favoured use of the New Look silhouette was almost non-existent as wrap, draped skirts—inspired by the sari—dominated the runway. They were rendered in a number of silk fabrications, punctuated by acid-hued colours that were reminiscent of the deep, rich colours of saris. It was a refreshing sight—and clear standouts from the collection—given how the New Look silhouette could sometimes look and feel a tad too uptight and stuffy.

With the ease, came elongated shirt-tunics that felt like nods to punjabi suits. At times, they were paired with quilted Dior Cannage jackets cut in quite a traditional Indian way with hems that end at lengths made to show off the layers of the ensembles.

In general, the Dior fall 2023 collection felt like a proper homage to India and its craftsmanship that has created such beautiful impact in luxury fashion. But perhaps, with India having such a varied and rich culture, especially in fashion, there were instances were the collection felt limiting. The embroidery employed didn’t feel as extensive as what one would’ve expected from such a partnership with the Chanakya School of Craft, nor were the use of signature Indian fabrications such as jacquard.

In some ways, it was an India-lite collection. Yes, there were beautifully cut pieces with clever manipulations of Indian fashion; but given the fanfare around the destination runway show, expectations were most definitely high.

View the full Dior fall 2023 collection in the gallery below.

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