The Parisian streets were lit up with fashion from popular designer brands at the Paris Fashion Week 2024, featuring an exquisite Fall/Winter collection. While luxury labels like Dior, Saint Laurent, Givenchy, and Rick Owens displayed their uniquely crafted ensembles, one Indian designer made noise for her artistically brilliant talent. Shakuntala Kulkarni transformed the Dior stage into a warrior-like decor as she presented her sartorial bamboo structure collections. Displayed in the background, the cane frame illustrations resembled a soldier from ancient times, donning headgear and traditional flowy costumes. The human representations of the bamboo constructions “masterfully blended the empowerment of modern women with the aesthetic of the 1960s.” The artistic rendition was a nod towards women, celebrating empowerment and freedom. The armatures draw attention to the dual nature of outfits and armour, which may both confine and constrain the body while serving to clothe, protect, and transform it.
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Earlier, at the Dior Fall 2023 collection held at the gateway of India, the event celebrated Mumbai's virtuosic craft highlighting Chanakya atelier, known for hand embroidery and embellished collections. Chanakya also contributed to the spectacular set design for the show, which included an eight-meter-tall sculpture that was modelled after the Indian toran, a beautiful fabric door hanging that is typically made by women to greet guests in their homes. Dior sponsored three shows in Mumbai that honoured Chanakya's artistic output. The first was an immersive installation called "The Private Collection of the Chanakya Collective," which showcased the institution's centuries-old methods. The second, "The Chanakya x Dior Retrospective," featured "samples and silhouettes" that the artists had made for the house. The third show, "Mūḷ Māthī: From The Root," honoured the works of Indian artists Madhvi and Manu Parekh.
At Dior's Spring Summer 2022 Haute Coutre, the stage weaved the perfect balance between the worlds of craft and fine arts. Maria Grazia was inspired by Manu and Madhvi Parekh's art. Their work's magnetic energy produced an immersive experience that explored the common language between craft and art, transcended the implied divide between the two, and embraced culture.
Indian art at Paris Fashion Week celebrates the talent of designers.
