I am not saying anything bad about the French. I love the French. Close friends know how much I mean that. I am only quoting this just because the last sentence is witty.
Hermès, however, says that selling a sari in India is not taking coals to Newcastle. Rather, it wants to ”connect with Indian tradition and elegance,” says Bertrand Michaud, president of Hermès India. And there is precedent, thanks to Hermès’ Marwari scarves (prints inspired by the rare horses of Jodhpur) and sari-dresses designed by Jean Paul Gaultier in spring 2008 when he was creative director of the brand. Those, however, were riffs; this is a more significant collection. ”It is like Indians selling wine in France,” sniffs one Indian style expert. ”To sell a sari in India takes Gallic gall.” [Saris from Paris? Financial Times. January 14 2012]
And no, I do not typically read the fashion section of the Financial Times or anything. I spotted a hot girl in sari on the front page (or somewhere) while reading about the debt negotiation in Greece. I then decided to skip Greece and turned to the fashion section instead. Sue me. I am a guy.