CRAFTING LEGACY

Mumbai-based atelier Chanakya International has become a force in haute couture. Christian Dior’s recent Pre-Fall show was just the latest demonstration of this

- SMITA TRIPATHI

'DIOR GOES TO INDIA', ‘Dior’s Gateway to India’, and ‘Dior Celebrates Indian Artisans’ were just some of the headlines that splashed across international news outlets earlier this year, when French maison Christian Dior showcased its Pre-Fall collection at Mumbai’s iconic Gateway of India. Making it all possible was Karishma Swali, the Managing and Creative Director of Mumbai-based atelier Chanakya International and the Chanakya School of Craft, which specialises in embroidery and craft that adorns international haute couture.

Swali’s father, Vinod Shah, set up Chanakya in 1986 with 22 master artisans to share India’s finest craftsmanship and artisanal legacy with the world, and she joined the family enterprise 26 years ago. Today, Chanakya’s client list includes some of the biggest names in luxury. Apart from Dior, there’s Fendi, Prada, Valentino, Celine, and Saint Laurent. The atelier’s relationship with Dior itself goes back to 2016, when Maria Grazia Chiuri took over as the French brand’s Creative Director. “We work extensively with many clients in both the LVMH and Kering groups,” says Swali.

It was during an internship at Italian luxury brand Alberta Ferretti in the mid-1990s that Swali realised the importance of handicrafts. “The Italians are so proud of it. If a shoe upper is being moulded by hand, they are like, you know it’s handmade. In India, everything is handmade. It is so much a part of us that sometimes we don’t realise how precious it is,” says Swali. “My one year in Italy really made an impression, and I realised that I wanted to spend my time exploring craft and contribute to making it a global language,” she adds.