Why Radhika Gupta is raising the alarm over Dior's ₹1.73cr Lucknowi mukaish coat: ‘No credit, hands remain invisible…'

Mint

21 hours ago

After Italian luxury house Prada lifted India's Kolhapuri sandals for its runway show uncredited, Edelweiss Chief Radhika Gupta has now called out French fashion brand Dior for failing to credit Indian artisans for its ₹ 1.73 crore worth coat ($2,00,000 price tag), featuring Lucknowi mukaish embroidery technique.
Showcased during the Paris Fashion Week in June as part of Dior Homme's Menswear ready-to-wear Spring Summer 2026 collection, the coat heavily featured Lucknowi mukaishi embroidery in its pattern and was presumably priced high for the painstaking days of handiwork involved.
Mukaish embroidery involves the use of metallic threads — usually gold or silver — to embellish patterns into fabrics (predominantly silk) and create a shimmering effect. It is often used on decorate traditional Indian clothing.
In a hearfelt, lengthy post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Radhika Gupta called out the lack of visibility for the local artisans involved in making luxury brand products and the lack of credit to India and Indian craft as a source of inspiration.
She wrote: 'One more handloom, one more headline. Dior sells a $200K coat using Lucknowi mukaish embroidery. 12 Indian artisans. 34 days of work. No credit. No context. No mention of India.'
'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,' she added.
Radhika Gupta noted that India must take a page out of Japan and South Korea's playbook to capitalise on 'soft power' using our local crafts.
'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,' she added.
Notably, this incident from Dior comes only a month after Prada faced backlash from Indian artisans and politicians for using traditional designs without credit in its Spring-Summer 2026 menswear collection.
In a letter addressed to Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Prada's head of corporate social responsibility, Lorenzo Bertelli wrote, 'We acknowledge that the sandals... are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage. We deeply recognise the cultural significance of such Indian craftsmanship,' Reuters reported citing the document dated June 27.
Talk began after models in the Milan show were seen wearing leather sandals with a braided design — closely resembling handmade Kolhapuri slippers, dating back to the 12th century.
According to Bertelli, Prada is committed to responsible design and respecting traditional Indian crafts. The brand wishes to engage with local Indian artisans and ensure they get proper credit for their work, he said.