Maria's Gaga: KARL

I attended the Net-a-Porter shopping launch of Karl Lagerfeld's new cut-price collection on Wednesday in a very gloomy Covent Garden.

Arriving 30 mins before opening time, I wasn't surprised to see a lengthy queue. The collection has been hotly anticipated with prices ranging from a modest £50 for Karl's signature leather gloves to just under £1000 for a black leather jacket.

Net-a-Porter had set up an adorable coffee van serving free drinks to chilly queuers and three large shop windows where you could try to win items from the collection by taking photos with their KARL app. They were also giving away a fabric tote bag with Karl's iconic silhouette emblazoned on front and a commemorative "Karl Addict" t-shirt. The first 50 to turn up were also given a gift from the collection in the form of a collar.

There was quite a hoo-hah surrounding the event with large displays of black balloons, three hunky models dressed as Mr Lagerfeld and Net-a-Porter's very own online TV channel interviewing attendees. However, what they failed to bring a long were the actual clothes. The shop windows were covered with large photographs of models wearing the collection but the pieces themselves were nowhere to be seen. I expected for them to be at least on display, after all, that's what we were all there to see.

As for the collection, I like it. But that's it. Of course it is based on Karl's classic monochromatic colour palette with lots of tailoring and starched shirts but I can't help feeling that it's all a little 'imitated'. I mean, the clothes Karl designs for Chanel, Fendi and his own line are superb but that doesn't necessarily mean that we want to dress like him. And I think you could quite easily get the KARL look with many items already in your wardrobe or by investing in one or two pieces (a black tux jacket, a tough leather jacket) without having to buy the collection itself. Of course it sold out in minutes simply because of the label attached but if you missed out this time, it doesn't mean you can't get the look.