The contribution of India’s legacy craftsmanship to the world of luxury is a well documented fact but getting well-deserved spotlight and acknowledgements is fairly rare. Many world-class it items in luxury fashion, jewellery, home textiles and furniture have been lovingly crafted in luxurious detailing that India has always been famous for but never quite mentioned in its own right and more often than not, a mere footnote mention. However, that is changing as acclaimed studios and designers are not only showcased in collaborations but also on their individual platforms.

Indian ateliers make a mark in global fashion

Mumbai-based Chanakya International is a renowned export house of hand-embroidered pieces with a clientele portfolio that reads like the A list shows at the London, Paris, Milan and New York fashion weeks. It all started when Chanakya’s creative director Karishma Swali led a project translating art works by the Delhi-based couple Manu and Madhvi Parekh as embroidered installations for Christian Dior’s Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2022 show at Paris’ Musée Rodin. Then came the much publicized collaboration between Dior and Chanakya Atelier that inspired the world , the Dior Fall 2023 collection staged against the backdrop of the Gateway of India, a visible symbol of colonialism, and the Dior x Chanakya Atelier retrospective.

That Dior mostly outsources a lot of the surface ornamentation and embroidery for its women’s wear, bags and shoes to an atelier in India was a well-guarded secret. But it’s out in the open now as India takes the seat at the international luxury table. Luxury brands have been zoning in on destination India as the growing middle class’ aspirations are now achievable and designer shoes, bags and frocks are often seen around at work places, social events and most of all at weddings, the perfect platform for opulence.

European luxury salutes Indian craftsmanship

For years, Europe’s luxury houses have been outsourcing embroideries, surface ornamentation and carvings from Indian master craftsmen, seldom was this contribution acknowledged as European luxury brands wanted to justify their European value through ‘Made Exclusively in Europe’. With India gaining ground rapidly through its resilient and successful economy and a strong foothold in the international corridors of power, European labels such as Dior have been smart to assess the future of luxury shifting rapidly Eastwards and paying a long-overdue homage to those who toiled endlessly in the by lanes of Lucknow, Mumbai, Varanasi and Kolkata, putting together exquisite perfection that shone the glory of European haute couture and luxury.

While Dior, like most European luxury brands, has often turned to Indian master craftsmen for their exceptional skill with embroideries and surface ornamentation, this relationship has been under the radar. Designer Rahul Mishra points out a significant portion of international luxury industry's supply chain has always been outsourced to India.

But most brands have denied credit to Indian ateliers for their handcrafted work. Indian craftsmanship has long been unfairly spoken about as being “too kitschy” and European brands have worked hard to preserve the snob value and symbolism associated with being a ‘Made in Europe’ brand.

So, fashion insiders are calling the showing a way for Dior to say ‘thank you’ for years of collaboration on intricate couture pieces, bags and shoes. The trend for crediting Indian ateliers for their craft and handmade collaboration most likely began with the ultra-glamorous shoe and accessories brand Christian Louboutin, which spoke about their work with Vastrakala, a Chennai-based Indian-French atelier run by Frenchmen Jean-Francois Lesage and Patrick Savouret and Indian Malvika Shivakumar.