Dior caught in cultural crossfire for not crediting Indian artisans on $200K Mukaish overcoat

Jonathan Anderson’s highly anticipated Dior debut featured a striking $200,000 coat adorned with traditional Indian Mukaish embroidery, crafted meticulously by 12 artisans over 34 days. However, despite showcasing the heritage and artistry of this technique, Anderson did not credit the Indian artisans involved, continuing a worrying pattern of cultural appropriation and lack of acknowledgement within luxury fashion. This controversy comes close on the heels of Prada’s recent backlash after the Italian luxury label presented sandals at Milan Fashion Week resembling India’s iconic Kolhapuri chappals. Prada described the footwear simply as “leather sandals,” failing to mention their Indian origins and sparking allegations of cultural appropriation among Indian designers and consumers.

The rich heritage of Mukaish embroidery

Mukaish embroidery, also known as Mukeish or Badla work, has deep roots dating as far back as the 3rd century. Originating in the Awadh region around Lucknow, the traditional art uses strands of metal to create stunning embellishments and was historically associated with royal evening wear.

Anderson, who recently took over as Dior’s sole creative director for both womenswear and menswear, unveiled his debut collection in Paris on June 27. The show was one of the biggest fashion events of the year, attracting a star-studded audience that included Robert Pattinson, Rihanna, and Daniel Craig.

Fashion commentator weighs in

Fashion commentator and content creator Hanan Besnovic, known for the Instagram account @ideservecouture, shared a video of the controversial coat, offering more context “Why is it a 200K dollar coat? Well, there’s a little more context to it. The coat is from the debut collection of Jonathan Anderson for Dior, but the procedure to make this coat is not that easy. First of all, the embroidery that you see on this coat is made by using the traditional Mukaish technique. This is a traditional Indian hand embroidery technique.”