In part one, I looked at the visual vocabulary from both the Moghul and Maratha Empires, scattered throughout the story that Karl Lagerfeld told on the runway of his Paris-Bombay PF12 Métiers d’Art collection for Chanel. That story was also punctuated by a definitive colonial influence from the British Raj in India – the collection was shown over an elaborate high tea setting, for one.
There was, of course, a distinct French flavour throughout the collection as well. Needless to say, it was tr̬s Chanel Рbut the French roots in India run more than a few years back.
With its seven-island archipelago and its proximity to the water, Bombay had become a great place to do business – specifically, for trade. Along with the Portuguese and Brits, French and other European settlers started to set up shop in the 16th century. I have many thoughts on the colonization of India politically, but let’s keep this discussion about the history as it relates to fashion – namely, Chanel’s collection here, shall we?
The French East India Company established a few initial colonies in the 1600s. Pondicherry was one of the first places they called home, away from home, and the city was still very much a part of ‘French India’ up until 1954.
What I noticed right away were the Pondicherry prints in Karl’s collection – and he put them on garments that will easily transcend borders. They are very Indian, yet they are very French.
All of those chintzes you see in the French countryside and in the decor of traditional English hotels? That chintz tradition started in India – from block printing done by hand. Block printing is still done by artisans in India today and Indian designers like Sabyasachi are part of a new generation of designers there trying to maintain and preserve the heritage of craftsmanship from various regions in the country – not unlike what Chanel has done with the seven couture ateliers they’ve purchased. The Métiers d’Art collection is presented each year, to showcase their work.
This collection’s historical references, however, weren’t restricted to ancient influences – there were many facets of more recent history making an appearance, too. For example, while we certainly know of Chanel’s black and white treasure trove, the specific instances of it here borrowed a thread or two from the Nehru/Gandhi legacies.
The black and white wide borders, the simplicity of the cut – it’s all very Chanel, but very Nehru, too.
The models used in the show were representative of the countries that touched India’s history, too. There were British girls, French girls, Indian girls – and girls who had a blend of many cultures in one blessed gene pool. Lagerfeld is all about the layers of the narrative.
When I first saw this collection video, I didn’t understand the dreadlocks – and then it all untangled in my mind. This was a nod to the ’60s Western fascination with India and the dawning of the curious age along with the Age of Aquarius. Lennon made India hip for many a hippie back then.
The show’s soundtrack included Lennon’s Instant Karma and George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord. And the circle of Brit influence is pretty close to complete, ‘innit? Told you Uncle Karl thinks of everything.
Chugging along the tea table was a train with the double C logo, surely referencing trading routes. India’s first railway, after all, was built in Bombay, in 1853. To me, that train moving back and forth was a connection between India’s past and its future.
This is no coincidence – India opened up its doors to foreign luxury brands in recent years and just weeks ago announced that foreign direct investment in the Indian retail sector be fast-tracked. While there has been subsequent opposition since the government’s initial announcement, the larger issue seems to be around multi-brand retailers versus single-brand retailers – the move towards the latter for the time being, has greater support. Time will tell, but let’s just say the train has already left the station. And remember, the new India travels to acquire the brands she wants, anyway. This collection will be a must-have. Choo Choo for the double Cs to move forward.
Every luxe brand and their little bridge line sibling are shifting focus from China to my Motherland these days. India is a hotbed for the haute – and it’s hard for the biz set to ignore the size and reach of the market – and the reach of the deep pockets of India’s uber-riche. These paisa-wallas and paisa-wallis want Valli and Valentino on their labels, not Varun and Vandana from Varanasi (sorry, Lakshmibai, your birthplace doesn’t have a fashion cachet). They want the chic factor of Chanel – and Karl knows it. He is riding that Maharaja Express all the way and the route is bound to be scenic.
What he’s also done is brought a more manageable adaptation of Indian style for Chanel’s existing customers in the West and perhaps extended an invitation for others who bridge east and west to try a little Chanel on for size.
So this isn’t a random occurrence or flirtation. This is an arranged marriage, my dears. The families have been working on this match – and like an astrologer-chosen date, the timing for the union is blessed by the stars. What, you thought all those wedding tikkas on the girl’s heads were a coincidence? (Incidentally, some of them looked more like the size of my sari key chain, than a tikka!)
What I love about Uncle Karl is how he does things so respectfully. As an aside, this trip of Karl’s is all figurative – the man has never set foot in modern Mumbai or basked in old Bombay – but one only has to have followed his career for a moment to understand that Karl rarely needs to travel to take us places. He is one of the best-read tour guides after all, with over 300,000 books in his personal collection.
Karl knows where he comes from. He visits other places and leaves them as they were, only better. He leaves them with a Karl touch.
The clothes are entirely his and entirely Chanel without a doubt. They are infused with these references from India’s embellished past ever so lovingly, ever so honourably – not there to offend or criticize or minimize in any way – but to bow down, to say namaste ji. So many others borrow and distort the view of a culture, making it either bland or kitsch. Uncle Karl, he really takes it at its essence and interprets it artfully, making it something new instead of clichéd.
In Karl’s India, churidaars become slick, dhotis are to-die-for and the Taj Mahal transforms itself into a Chanel suit.
There is truly a sharing of heritage in these clothes. The Métiers d’Art collection is an annual showcase of the masterful works created by the couture ateliers that Chanel owns. This year, there was clearly a nod to India’s equally rich history of ornamentation and adornment. As I’ve said before, I think India might even save couture one day, with its army of artisans.
The word genius has become sort of cliché in fashion. It is the butter chicken of adjectives – it covers just about everything with the same thick, syrupy, gooey mess. This, however, is an occasion where the substance is separated from the neon orange goo.
That show of restraint, that respect for Indian heritage, for history – political, economical and cultural, that honour to the French craft, to Chanel’s legacy, that business savvy and foresight – all of it exemplifies the true genius of Karl Lagerfeld.
That level of genius stops one in her tracks.
Thankfully, she can always hop on the Maharaja Express – and have a Chanel ensemble for every stop en route.
Images:Â Original runway images for 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 19-22 from Elle.com, modified by moi; Original runway images 3, 5, 7, 10, 13-14, 16-18, 23-24 fromVogue.com, some modified by moi; 9 Kennedy India visit courtesy of Life Magazine; 12 Sonia Gandhi via NewsIndiaTimes; 15 courtesy of Chanel.
Historical verification via Historical verification via British Library; MumbaiNet; Wikipedia.
