DIOR PARTNERS WITH CHANAKYA FOR A SERIES OF TEXTILE ARTWORKS

Celebrities and guests attending the Dior SS 2022 Haute Couture show in Paris were struck by the hundreds of square meters of monumental, lively, and surreal textile art panels that flanked the runway. Commissioned by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the labor-intensive installation was created by the Chanakya School of Craft, an embroidery workshop and school in Mumbai, India, reproducing the work of Madhvi and Manu Parekh, two of the country’s leading contemporary artists. Representing traditional Indian motifs and spirituality, the artwork celebrates the dichotomy between male and female, real and surreal. The effect against the clothes was stunning, creating a seamless crossroad between artistry and couture. Embroidery fully reflects Dior’s heritage, becoming the central element of the show, and transformed by a vision that makes the atelier a collaborative mode of expression. Where, according to Dior, haute couture is a form of constant experimentation and questioning.