bombay mix

It was a sumptuous collaboration of Indian luxury and understated Parisian style when Karl Lagerfeld showed the Chanel Pre Fall/Winter 2012-13 collection yesterday at the Grand Palais. Fit for and Indian Princess the show was full of luxurious fabrics and intracate jewelled headpieces that seemed as though they had been created for the Maharaja and Courtesan in the film Moulin Rouge- another excellent example of France meets India. It is clear in the clothing that the inspiration was mostly taken from Indian menswear which is unsurprising seeing as Coco Chanel made a name for herself bringing the comfort and ease of menswear tailoring to the female market. My personal favourite is a champagne silk tunic and trouser combination finished off with a heavily embellished necklace and headpiece. Although the Indian reference was heavy throughout, Chanel executed the perfect balance- and I would expect nothing less. All the classic Chanel elements were still included; the pearls, heavy golden chains, tweed and camellia flowers all found their rightful place among the vibrant Indian styles and yet were not lost in them, despite their beautiful subtlty. The entire collection has rustled up so much excitement for the Fall/Winter shows next year and has left me with no doubt that once I win the lottery I am buying the entire Chanel archive.

Take me to the Taj Mahal, or at least the nearest Chanel.

For more images see Vogue.