What if the visions of Salvador Dalí could step off a canvas and walk down a runway? What if a painter who imagined melting clocks and bending landscapes could foresee the future of menswear? In 1971, the Belgian luxury fabric house Scabal asked Dalí to do exactly that. The surrealist master responded with twelve visionary paintings, each brimming with wit, imagination and eccentric charm. Strange figures, symbolic flourishes and playful narratives emerged, creating some of the most provocative works of his career. Decades later, these pieces finally arrived in India, ready to inspire a new audience and invite them into Dalí's unpredictable world.
The Surrealism Soirée, presented by TSB Overseas in collaboration with Scabal, transformed the Satish Gujral-designed Belgian Embassy into a stage where art met fashion in unexpected ways. His Excellency Didier Vanderhasselt, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, and Sarbinder Singh Bindra, Founder of TSB Overseas, welcomed designers, collectors and cultural enthusiasts to witness this rare encounter-one that bridged continents, eras and artistic languages. Dalí's twelve original paintings were displayed alongside the Scabal fabrics they inspired, revealing a striking dialogue between paint and textile.
Colours, shapes and surreal motifs migrated from canvas into wool, silk and cashmere. Subtle distortions, playful exaggerations and tonal nuances appeared in pinstripes, checks, jacquards and textured weaves. The fabrics carried hints of Dalí's whimsy-an unexpected gradient, a shadow that shifted with movement, or a pattern that revealed more the longer one looked. Each piece felt alive, transforming imagination into material formThe Vision Collection presentation, curated by Prasad Bidapa, brought these ideas to life. Models walked in ensembles by The Darzi Group, Diwan Saheb, Jade Blue and P N Rao, each working with Scabal's twelve Vision fabrics.
Tailoring was precise and restrained-sharp shoulders, refined cuts, layered textures and discreet details echoing Dalí without slipping into costume. The garments carried quiet narratives: hidden geometry in a stitch, a lining hinting at distortion, a sheen evoking dreamlike light. The evening's highlight was Dhruv Kapoor's womenswear look in Scabal fabric. Modern, confident and sculptural, it reimagined a traditionally masculine textile into a commanding feminine silhouette, the showstopper where imagination, craftsmanship and innovation aligned, proving Dalí's vision still shapes contemporary design. The Surrealism Soirée let imagination walk the runway, vivid and unbound. It showed that when art and fashion collide, creativity becomes the finest luxury of all.
