Dior’s Haute Couture Collection: An Ode to Craft

The rich motifs of Ukrainian folklore and the ancient art of Indian embroidery are at the forefront of Dior’s Autumn-Winter 2022/2023 haute couture collection.

Designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the collection was inspired by the work of Ukrainian artist Olesia Trofymenko. Beyond the pretty peasant-style dresses and intricate details, the clothes bring a sense of hope and strength.

Chiuri commissioned Trofymenko to design the set for the show, which showcased large-scale installations with the artist’s signature emblem, the “tree of life.”

“The tree of life connects all forms of creation; it supports the sky and connects it to the earth through its branches and roots,” according to Dior’s description of the collection.

Uniting different cultures and mythologies, the “tree of life” symbol is reinvented in the collection’s designs, with the branches, trunk, and roots featuring in the garments in a myriad of ways.

Simple cotton and linen dresses, along with wool crepe, silk, and cashmere, blossom with splashes of colourful embroidery. The embroidery was made by India’s Chanakya ateliers and the Chanakya School of Craft in Mumbai using cotton, silk, or yarn threads, alongside braided lace and guipure.

Age-old techniques such as variations on the cross-stitch, couching, feather, and satin stitch feature in the pieces. The floral garlands and wheat crowns are created with colour layered cross-stitching to capture the depth of the roses, while the tree of life itself is hand embroidered with satin stitch and jute thread, with knotting and needlepoint providing dimension.

More than a tribute to traditional beauty, the collection strives to reflect on what it means to be human today, guiding us to anchor ourselves in the wisdom of the past to move forward into the future.

The tree of life, with its web of roots, represents all that came before us, while its trunk and branches, carrying the weight of its foliage, are the strength of rising through life’s challenges towards the new, fresh leaves of a hopeful future.

“The tree of life is a call, a warning, to make traditions and gestures shine through, allowing us to recover a balance, if only momentarily,” according to Dior.