Karl Lagerfeld’s Paris-Bombay Voyage

Chanel’s tasty Métiers D’Art 2012 collection, entitled Paris-Bombay, actively and unapologetically set out to woo the Indian upper-class customer who has more pocket money than she knows what to do with. Fuelled by a booming economy, and a desire to consume, consume, consume, India seems to be the next destination of choice for the big design houses.

At first glance, designer Karl Lagerfeld’s collections, inspired variously by Byzantium, Shanghai and Moscow in recent years, follow the path of fin de siècle designers like Paul Poiret. These designers and artists married early 20th century art deco with orientalist acquisition to market to the European fashionista the mystery, exoticism and opulence of the Orient. But peer a little closer.

The mingling of French lace with lavishly embroidered anarkali gowns, of elaborate hand-chokers and tikkas dripping down on to the forehead, is not just selling the fantasy India of elephants and maharajas to Europe, but to the generously pocketed Indian consumer. It is the Orient marketed to the Orient. Go figure.

The Paris-Bombay collection, in which models paraded their tight churidars paired with gold lamé, their lashings of pearls and their kolhapuri slippers down aisles studded with items from an Indian-themed banquet – mountains of fruit, ornate candelabra and, I want to say, chicken tikka, but who knows? – is the orientalist version of Willy Wonka’s party. Instead of children whose brains have been addled by sugary confections, however, the invitations were exclusively given out to design and pop culture royalty, and the Parisian ton.

Seventy-three-year-old Lagerfeld, famously attired in his indoor sunglasses, white ponytail, and Tourette’s-like quotes, says he has never been to India and that ‘It’s much more inspiring not to go to places than to go.’ Hmm? What does that even mean? He went on to say that women all over the world often respond to recession by dressing up in their most lavish jewels. Off to Accessorize I go…

Lagerfeld owns more than 200 exclusive stores around the world, and designs not only for Chanel, but for artists including Madonna, stores such as H&M and Diesel, and his own fashion house. He likes to periodically remind the world that he is still alive by using fur in his shows and employing strippers to model his lines. The Chanel Métiers D’Art collections have showcased the best of French craftsmanship for the last eight years.

Priced somewhere between Chanel’s prêt-a-porter gear (£2000) and couture (£20,000), the 2012 collection showcases Lagerfeld’s interpretations of Indian fashion history.

But there’s more. Now we can have Lagerfeld right on our doorstep in London – if we want him. Lagerfeld has joined hands with Net-a-Porter to bring the avid online fashionista (and the male version thereof) all kinds of urban clothing in monochromatic and metallic textures at ready-to-wear prices. The micro-site launches on 25 January 2012, and features competitions to win spending money and play with cool apps to make people who aren’t Karl Lagerfeld look like they are… Need I say more?

Image by Marinshe courtesy of Flickr