New Delhi, Oct. 3 -- "Is that meenakari (enamel work)?" Christian Louboutin asks, pointing to my necklace, as we meet on a video call for an interview. "Do you wear it both sides," comes the French designer's next question. While enamelled jewellery can be worn on both sides, most people rarely do so. "You should try... that's the beauty of meenakari, no?" he suggests when I answer "No".

The keen interest stems from the research he had been doing for his latest collection La Vie en Inde, a festive limited-edition India-exclusive collection that's launching on 9 October at the luxury shoe brand's boutiques in Delhi and Mumbai. Inspired by Louboutin's well-known love for India and the colours of the navratna (or nine gems), the collection ...