As luxury executives eye India’s high growth potential, Christian Dior Couture has added Hindi film star Sonam Kapoor to its roster of ambassadors for Maria Grazia Chiuri’s womenswear.
Kapoor is Bollywood royalty: the daughter of Anil Kapoor, one of the industry’s biggest stars. She rose to prominence in a mix of critically-acclaimed films and Bollywood blockbusters throughout the 2010s, culminating in 2016′s “Neerja,” one of India’s top-grossing pictures featuring a female protagonist.
Kapoor has previously worked as a brand ambassador for L’Oréal and watch brand IWC Schaffhausen as well as appearing in a commercial for Pepsi. She is also a champion of contemporary art, and recently joined the Tate Modern’s South Asia acquisitions committee.
After taking two years off to have a child, Kapoor recently confirmed plans to return to acting with a “big project” set to start filming in early 2025, the details of which remain under wraps.
“A multi-talented personality, the actress, producer and fashion icon henceforth embodies the audacity, grace and elegance of Dior style, a femininity constantly reinvented,” Dior said in a statement. “More than ever, this unique alliance celebrates the powerful cultural ties that have united Dior and India since the very beginning of the house.
Dior has sought to underscore its links with India in recent years: the country is a nexus of craftsmanship where many of the brand’s suppliers for embroidery and embellishment are based, as well as a burgeoning market for luxury brands: luxury goods spending by Indian consumers is expected to roughly triple by 2030, reaching €25 to €30 billion per year, according to Bain & Company. Last March, Dior presented its pre-fall 2023 collection with a multi-day celebration in Mumbai.
The French couture giant’s Kapoor deal follows several tie-ups between luxury brands and Indian actresses as executives target not only India-based customers but the South Asian diaspora, among them Ananya Panday for Jimmy Choo, Alia Bhatt for Gucci, Deepika Padukone for Louis Vuitton and Cartier, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas for Bulgari.
Learn more:
Can Global Brands See Beyond Bollywood in India?
Casting actors as ambassadors is an effective way of reaching Indian consumers, but fashion brands should consider widening the net to include other famous faces like local musicians and athletes, marketing experts say.
