Christian Lacroix, The Man, Designs Coins

PARIS–From Karl Lagerfeld playing editor-in-chief, to John Galliano being made a national hero, France gives fashion figures as much respect as it does to those in any other field.

So it’s hardly a surprising that Christian Lacroix was just named artistic advisor of La Monnaie de Paris: the state-funded organization in charge of designing and making French Euro coins, as well as national medals of all sorts. Despite Lacroix’s recent, saddening financial troubles, he remains an illustrious ambassador for his field and his country–so who better to ask about matters of classical Frenchness?

This weekend, the local press revealed that the designer will be in charge of designing limited editions of coins, as well as the PACS medal (French gay marriage), and the Marriage medal (the trinket given when getting married under French civil law).

This might seem like an odd switch from fashion, but this is not the first time La Monnaie de Paris has turned to sartorial experts for advice. In 2008 Karl Lagerfeld, along with the then-Minister of Culture Christine Albanel, designed special euro coins to celebrate Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s 125th birthday.

And in 2009, La Monnaie de Paris, which is also a museum, held a giant retrospective of David La Chapelle, an icon in fashion photography.

There’s more: Lacroix also revealed his upcoming project of redesigning a Tram line in Montpellier, France. As he explained, it will look like a “friendly underwater monster,” decorated with small fish, star fish made of embroideries, sequins and sparkles. Parts of the interior will look like coral.

If Karl can design Coca Cola bottles, and Colette offers baking classes, why shouldn’t coins and public transport deserve as much respect?