India, Jan. 29 -- When fashion designer Maria Grazia Chiuri took the helm at Dior nearly a decade ago, she made her priorities clear. She would champion women. Not just in the garments she designed, but in the voices she amplified, the narratives she centred and the spaces she built.

From artist Judy Chicago's monumental goddess temple to artist Mickalene Thomas' unapologetic portraits of Black womanhood, Chiuri has enlisted female artists to shape the visual lexicon of her shows.

For the Spring/Summer 2025 haute couture collection at the Paris Fashion Week, the house turned to Mumbai-based artist Rithika Merchant, known for her dreamy portrayals of myth and nature.

The show, held in a temporary space at the Musee Rodin in Paris, Franc...