The Flowers We Grew Dior

For the Dior haute couture spring-summer 2025 collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri has commissioned Rithika Merchant to conceive an immersive artwork composed of nine paintings. Translated into large-scale textile panels by Karishma Swali, the Chanakya ateliers and the Chanakya School of Craft, these works form an immersive visual landscape convening stories of womanhood across generations.

Reflecting Maria Grazia Chiuri and Dior’s commitment to supporting women artists around the world, this original collective artwork is unveiled during the Dior de?file? in the garden of the Rodin museum. The public will be able to discover it, following the show, over five days – from January 28 to February 2, 2025 – in an exhibition open to all.

Born in Mumbai, Rithika Merchant gathers stories of her ancestors originating on her maternal side from the region of Kerala. “The seeds we plant in the past grow into the flowers of the present,” she says, highlighting the continuous narratives passed on down the years through a powerful line of matriarchs.

Drawing from her own aesthetic vocabulary informed by the study of botanical drawings, her paintings in gouache, watercolor and ink on paper, engender a natural landscape punctuated by universal symbols, floral and organic shapes. Referencing a variety of literary and mythological sources, she creates a storyline rooted in past narratives, opening a positive future, celebrating female force, energy and joy.

For this installation, Karishma Swali, the master artisans of Chanakya and the graduate women students of the Chanakya School of Craft have interpreted her artworks in a great range of stitches, colors and materials. A testament to interdisciplinary artistry, the transformation of the brushstrokes of Rithika Merchant’s paintings into a monumental creation combines their crafts and savoir-faire of excellence in a captivating visual experience.