Choupette steals the show

Fashionistas in Bangkok have long been able to buy the iconic designs of Karl Lagerfeld but now, for the very first time, they can enjoyed a touch of the Lagerfeld luxury in a Thai-owned fashion brand.
Karl Lagerfeld for Jaspal, which will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most exclusive collections of the year, debuted last week at a fashion event celebrating the 46th anniversary of Jaspal. 
French music and Parisian chic were very much in evidence at the event hosted by Siam Paragon with replicas of famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the boulevard cafe sharing pride of place with Thailand’s very own tuk-tuk. 
Viseth Singhsachathet, assistant managing director at Jaspal and the grandson of the founder, says the brand has been working with Lagerfeld and his fashion house for 18 months. The collaboration, he adds, is a reflection of Jaspal’s core policy to keep developing and improving its quality products and underline its position as an internationally recognised Thai brand. 
“This collaboration is a new milestone for us. We wanted to work with a truly iconic designer and who better than Karl Lagerfeld?” Viseth says. 
“We were lucky to get in touch with him and delighted his own brand was interested to hold discussions with us. The Karl Lagerfeld brand has never collaborated with any fashion label in South East Asia before. We went to meet them and showed them who we are. We have been in business for a long time and they could see our potential. Working with their team was a wonderful professional experience. They knew exactly what they wanted and what they were looking for. I also would like to give credit to my team, who were so professional on the ground. They were really hands on, everything has to be approved and the communication two way all the time. It’s been really a fun project.”
Also present at the launch was Caroline Lebar, head of communications for Karl Lagerfeld who has been with the designer for more than 30 years.
“Working with Jaspal is amazing and we are pleased to have the opportunity of working with a Thai brand, which is a first for us. The main inspiration for the collection is Thailand and also our Choupette. Choupette is more than friendship, she is a true love. She is Karl’s cat. She is now six years old and our mascot so I hope she will become Jaspal’s mascot too. We know that Thais also love cats,” Lebar says. 
Asked how Lagerfeld feels about the collection, Lebar is blunt. “If he wasn’t happy, it wouldn’t exist. Karl controls everything. He is also super happy about the short movie we have made. All our team was happy to work with Jaspal. It was an easy and friendly collaboration,” she says. 
As the world’s centre of fashion, the French capital is evident in the collection though the Parisian style is given a Thai twist. Tailoring is key to the outfits, which boast ruffles, black and white tones and plenty of pops of red. 
The exclusive collection is presented on the concept Paris Day-to-Night and features clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, hats, luggage tags, keychains and phone cases. 
All items can be mixed and matched for day and for night. The Paris by Day component features casualwear including T-shirts paired with leather biker jackets or denim and tops printed with the face of the designer or Choupette the cat. Stripes are at the forefront and the overlook look perfectly represents the effortless chic of Parisian women.
Paris by Night focuses on dresses both short and long in Lagerfeld’s signature black and white with fun patches and feminine ruffles along with studded collars directly inspired by the designer’s own style. 
The accessories serve to bring out the clothes, for example through a short dress and leather biker jacket match paired with a crossbody bag and embroidered sneakers for the complete look during the day. A party look for evening is achieved by switching from the crossbody bag to the glitter box clutch.
“We told the designer and his team that we would like something really special for Thai customers that was exclusive and obviously Karl Lagerfeld. They came up with the biker jacket, t-shirts and a range of Choupette designs,” says Viseth. 
“The tuk tuk is a symbol of Thailand and we wanted to pay tribute to him through the collection. We would never see Karl Lagerfeld in a tuk tuk, why don’t we put them both in this iconic vehicle around the streets of Paris. And they loved it!” 

  The Karl Lagerfeld for Jaspal collection is available at all branches of Jaspal as well as online at Jaspal.com. 
 Follow up on happenings and news at Facebook: @JASPALOfficial or Instagram: @jaspalofficial.