Each year, there are mutiple fashion collaborations and exclusive collections, and the latest of these is a collection of saris by the French fashion house of Hermès.

Hermès recently opened up another store in the business and entertainment capital of Mumbai. With the Indian retail industry worth over US$1.5 billion, Bollywood stars who wear Dior and Vuitton on a daily basis, and mega billionaires like Lakshmi Mittal and Mukesh Ambani, it’s no suprise that fashion houses are looking to tap into the Indian market. Hermès has also found itself being referenced in Indian pop-culture as “Bagwati” in this year’s Bollywood hit Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara.

Saris by Indian designers such as Manish Malhotra, Satya Paul and Anjalee & Arjun Kapoor are generally prefered by Indian clientele but there is a market for these designer saris in India’s expanding luxury market.

The collection will consist of 27 silk saris, influenced by Hermès’ trademark silk scarf and shapes and prints identified with India. Saris will range from $6,000 to $8,500 and will be exclusively sold at the Mumbai boutique.

I’m sure there will be many more ‘Indianized’ collections from the luxury retailers.  In fact, we’ve already seen the exclusive to India-Tod’s woven clutch and Prada’s Made In India collection. With the West weakening, it isn’t surprising that fashion houses are looking towards Asia to take advantage of increasing wealth there.

After all, they will always remain fashion-forward.

Photo courtesy: Fashionotes