Dior’s latest couture show paid tribute to American sculptor Lynda Benglis and showcased bright floral designs inspired by her 1979 Peacock series. Creative director Jonathan Anderson highlighted the heritage of 18th‑century chintz, weaving hand‑painted cotton into handbags. Anderson noted that Dior still works with Indian ateliers and that the skills, three to four hundred years old, are rarely mentioned publicly.

While the collection’s garments were finished in France, the embroidery and embellishment come from Mumbai‑based ateliers such as Les Ateliers 2M and Milaaya Embroideries. An export house recently received an order for 8,000 hand‑embroidered flowers destined for another high‑profile brand, illustrating the industry’s reliance on Indian craft when European ateliers can produce only five or six fully hand‑beaded pieces per season.

India supplies 80–90% of luxury ready‑to‑wear embroideries. A fully embellished dress requiring ≈1,000 hours of work costs €7,000–€8,000 to embroider in India versus €40,000 in France, where artisans earn roughly $2,400 monthly compared to $240 in Mumbai. EU regulations define a product’s origin by the last “substantial transformation,” creating a loophole that many brands exploit.

For investors, the cost differential offers margin pressure relief but raises supply‑chain visibility risks. Brands that openly label “Made in India,” like Hermès, can differentiate on authenticity, whereas those that conceal origins may face consumer backlash amid growing demand for provenance transparency.