India is a mysterious and exotic land to the world at large, and its commercial capital, Mumbai, the country's most populous city, is a melting pot of cultures and home to rising stars of fashion and design; It is not only the world's window to India, but also India's window to the rest of the world.

At the beginning of this year, when Dior decided to hold its early fall fashion show in Mumbai, the eyes of the world seemed to focus on India. The show kicked off at the stately, historic India Gate, where a few feet in front, the models made their entrance through an embroidered arch.

In 1911, it was built to commemorate the visit of King George V to India.

In 1948, after the end of colonial rule, the building also witnessed the departure of the last British troops from India. In the evening, the show was illuminated by hundreds of oil lamps, and a cool evening wind blew from the direction of the Arabian Sea.

Ninety-nine ankle-length silk dresses and fashions appeared on the runway, some with intricate Indian embroidery, no doubt inspired by saris and Nehru neckline blouses and tops, celebrating Indian culture and its exquisite craftsmanship.

The collection, created in collaboration with artisans at the Chanakya studio in Mumbai, highlights the craftsmanship passed down through the generations of artists.

Although this is the first time that a top European fashion brand has held such a grand fashion show in India, Dior's connection with India goes back a long way.

As early as the 1955 autumn/winter haute couture collection, Christian Dior designed the evening gown "Soiree de Lahore" was clearly inspired by the sari.

Marc Bohan, artistic director of Dior from 1960 to 1989, travelled to India and held Dior shows in Mumbai and Delhi.

For his spring/summer 1989 couture collection, Bohan designed a collection called "The Indian Year-Pyramid and Sari Line," which sent models down the runway wearing silk dresses inspired by saris. The sari was also the inspiration for Chiuri's pre-fall 2023 collection.

As Bohan's successor, Gianfranco Ferre designed haute couture and haute ready-to-wear collections for Dior from 1989 to 1996. Ferre lived in India for some time and paid tribute to the country in 1996 with the series "Indian Passion".

Known as the "miracle boy" of British fashion, Galliano repeatedly looked to India for inspiration during his time as Dior's chief designer from 1996 to 2011, as seen in a series of pieces he designed for Dior and his eponymous fashion label.

Shortly after the Dior pre-fall show, celebrities from around the world gathered in Mumbai for the grand opening of the Nita-Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC).

It's a massive three-day event that includes a red carpet, theater previews, dance and music performances, and a gala evening.

The guests first watched "India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Clothing and Textiles on the fashion Imagination, the first exhibition to explore India's influence on the international fashion scene, was curated by Home World Editor-in-Chief and fashion expert Hamish Bowles and co-designed by Patrick Kinmonth and architect Rooshad Shroff.

Inside, you'll see 140 pieces of clothing from different museums and never-before-seen private collections from around the world, including collections of Christian Dior, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, As well as works by the likes of Indian couriers Anamika Khanna and Sabyasachi Mukherjee, they all represent the height of Indian design, craftsmanship and aesthetics.

Just as at the Dior show, the NMACC guests wore gorgeous pieces created by the country's top designers to celebrate India's exquisite craftsmanship.

Photos of Zendaya in a midnight blue sari gown by Rahul Mishra, the first Indian designer to show a collection at Haute Couture Week in Paris, went viral online.

Similarly, supermodel Gigi Hadid wore a chikankari (a traditional embroidery technique) straight skirt by design duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, paired with a gold top covered in embroidery, as if a goddess had descended to earth.

The story of India and its impact on international fashion is complex.

For centuries, India has been a mysterious and exotic land to the whole world, and especially to the West.