'No credit to Indian artisans': Dior slammed for $200k coat with Lucknowi embroidery
Earlier, Prada had showcased leather sandals resembling Kolhapuri chappals without acknowledging Indian origins
- Jul 27, 2025,
- Updated Jul 27, 2025 1:26 PM IST
Edelweiss Mutual Fund MD and CEO Radhika Gupta on Sunday criticised French luxury label Dior for not crediting Indian artisans involved in creating a $200,000 coat embroidered with traditional Lucknowi mukaish work. Reacting to the controversy, Gupta said the world values Indian craftsmanship but routinely sidelines its creators.
"Dior sells a $200K coat using Lucknowi mukaish embroidery. 12 Indian artisans. 34 days of work. No credit. No context. No mention of India," she wrote on X. "The world loves Indian craftsmanship - but rarely credits the craftspeople. And almost never shares the value. Because the branding, storytelling, and pricing power stay elsewhere. The hand that creates remains invisible."
Gupta called for a cultural reset in how India positions its heritage industries globally. "Culture is soft power. Japan did it with design. Korea did it with pop culture. India must do it with craft. From sourcing destination to storytelling nation. A home of global brands. The lion has to come out. And roar."
Her remarks came after a report by NDTV detailed Dior's use of intricate mukaish embroidery - a metallic thread embellishment technique native to Lucknow — on a gold and ivory coat that was part of creative director Jonathan Anderson's debut Dior collection. The show was held in Paris on June 27, 2025, with global celebrities like Robert Pattinson, Rihanna, and Daniel Craig in attendance.
Fashion commentator Hanan Besnovic, who runs the Instagram handle @ideservecouture, flagged the issue in a widely shared video. "Why is it a 200k dollar coat? Well, there’s a little more context to it...the embroidery you see on this coat is made using the traditional mukaish technique. This is a traditional Indian hand embroidery technique."
Besnovic noted that "12 embroiderers were required to make this coat, and that it took 34 days to create it.” However, no mention of India or its artisans was made in Dior’s official communications.
The criticism comes close on the heels of another controversy involving Prada, which had showcased leather sandals resembling Kolhapuri chappals without acknowledging Indian origins. Only after widespread backlash did Prada issue a statement that their footwear was “inspired by the Indian handcrafted footwear from the Maharashtra and Karnataka region.”
Edelweiss Mutual Fund MD and CEO Radhika Gupta on Sunday criticised French luxury label Dior for not crediting Indian artisans involved in creating a $200,000 coat embroidered with traditional Lucknowi mukaish work. Reacting to the controversy, Gupta said the world values Indian craftsmanship but routinely sidelines its creators.
"Dior sells a $200K coat using Lucknowi mukaish embroidery. 12 Indian artisans. 34 days of work. No credit. No context. No mention of India," she wrote on X. "The world loves Indian craftsmanship - but rarely credits the craftspeople. And almost never shares the value. Because the branding, storytelling, and pricing power stay elsewhere. The hand that creates remains invisible."
Gupta called for a cultural reset in how India positions its heritage industries globally. "Culture is soft power. Japan did it with design. Korea did it with pop culture. India must do it with craft. From sourcing destination to storytelling nation. A home of global brands. The lion has to come out. And roar."
Her remarks came after a report by NDTV detailed Dior's use of intricate mukaish embroidery - a metallic thread embellishment technique native to Lucknow — on a gold and ivory coat that was part of creative director Jonathan Anderson's debut Dior collection. The show was held in Paris on June 27, 2025, with global celebrities like Robert Pattinson, Rihanna, and Daniel Craig in attendance.
Fashion commentator Hanan Besnovic, who runs the Instagram handle @ideservecouture, flagged the issue in a widely shared video. "Why is it a 200k dollar coat? Well, there’s a little more context to it...the embroidery you see on this coat is made using the traditional mukaish technique. This is a traditional Indian hand embroidery technique."
Besnovic noted that "12 embroiderers were required to make this coat, and that it took 34 days to create it.” However, no mention of India or its artisans was made in Dior’s official communications.
The criticism comes close on the heels of another controversy involving Prada, which had showcased leather sandals resembling Kolhapuri chappals without acknowledging Indian origins. Only after widespread backlash did Prada issue a statement that their footwear was “inspired by the Indian handcrafted footwear from the Maharashtra and Karnataka region.”