Previously absent from Central Asia, last year Chanel opened a subsidiary in Kazakhstan. It is not an outlier in this respect - all the leading luxury players have been looking to gain a foothold in a country that, since Moscow invaded Ukraine, has become the gateway for luxury products into Russia. Also last year, Cartier opened a boutique in the former Kazakh capital Almaty, and other luxury and beauty companies are on the verge of following its lead. At Chanel, the move to set up shop in Kazakhstan