At Dior's Paris Haute Couture Week show the Chanakya School of Craft collaborated with Dior to design and hand-embroider the backdrop of the runway show. The backdrop depicts Mythology-inspired imagery created by Marta Roberti with a focal point on ancient goddesses and strong feminine energy. The large scenographic embroideries are done by women artisans from The Chanakya School of Craft and Chanakya Ateliers, headed by Karishma Swali and were made to come to life at the gardens of Paris's Musée Rodin. The stunning backdrop fused with Dior's tonal but statement runway looks were a match one could only witness in the city of love.
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Chanakya School Of Craft is a non-governmental organisation established in 1986 by Vinod Shah and is currently headed by his children Karishma and Nehal. They are a team of 50 designers and merchandisers who aim at achieving their client's vision through women artisans. For Dior's Autumn/Winter show, the drawings of artist Marta Roberti were embroidered by the Chanakya School of Craft's artisans and designers creating magic through their art and inspired by ancient goddesses and feminine energy. The collection is commissioned by Maria Grazia Chuiri, the Artistic Director of the Dior Women's Collection. The show was attended by stars from all over the world including Sonam Kapoor and Natalie Portman among others.
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This is not the first time that the Indian NGO has collaborated with the legacy fashion house. The Chanakya School of Craft was part of Dior's Fall 2023 Mumbai show too. 'Toran' was a site-specific collaboration, with the fashion label which was handcrafted by the female artisans of the Chanakya School of Craft. It was a 14-meter-tall installation welcoming guests to Dior's Fall 2023 presentation at Mumbai's Gateway of India. Torans are seen as ceremonial entrances in India and this collaboration with Dior was referencing cross-cultural influences, heritage, and traditions.
Last year, for Dior's Autumn/Winter Collection 2022-23, Chanakya's collection was about honouring the globalism of artisanship and included feminine embellishments like lace on the backdrop to complement the collection.
After multiple rows of successful displays of India's textiles and crafts, we are excited to see where the Chanakya School is headed next.
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