Chanel dreams of India

A set heaving with crystal candelabra and a silver liquor-bearing train set the scene. On the runway, models including Anja Rubik, Lindsey Wixson, Crystal Renn, Edie Campbell, Daphne Groeneveld, Stella Tennant and mother-daughter pair Yasmin Le Bon and Amber Le Bon wore gold, silver and heavily embroidered ensembles that took cues from saris, dhotis and Colonial era suits.

The nod to India appeared in the jewellery as well. Models wore metal diadems, and strands of beading linked nostrils and ears.

Lagerfeld, never one to allow reality to invade a good fantasy, has never visited India himself. The richness of his imagination more than makes up for his lack of passport stamp.

Click here to see 12 of our favourite looks from the collection.