Ivana Omazic
© AFP/File Jacques DemarthonPARIS (AFP) - The 32-year-old designer from Zagreb presents her debut collection for the French house, created by Celine Vipiana 60 years ago as a children's shoe store, on October 6 midway through Paris' ready-to-wear shows for next summer.
Her vision for the line known for its effortlessly elegant and sophisticated styles? "Easy for the day and not unconventional for the evening, with some details," she said.
In her own words, the look will be "pretty, elegant and relaxed at the same time."
Omazic replaces Italy's Roberto Menichetti who was hired in April 2004 and presented just two women's ready-to-wear collections for the Celine label, owned by luxury goods giant LVMH, but failed to win over critics or loyal Celine customers.
Menichetti, who also has his own label, succeeded the popular US designer Michael Kors, who left Celine after more than seven years to concentrate on his own eponymous brand in New York.
Ivana Omazic
© AFP/File Jacques DemarthonOmazic's path into the fashion industry began at the age of five, when on visiting an aunt who was a fashion stylist in England she caught the design bug. Her parents both worked in the world of finance.
In 1991, at the outbreak of the Serbo-Croatian war and aged 18, she left for Milan to study at the European Institute of Design after which she began working for Romeo Gigli, later joining the Prada group.
There she rapidly moved up the ladder from junior assistant designer to being responsible for the ready-to-wear collection, learning the ropes from fashion and accessories queen Miuccia Prada.
But after seven years with the cult Italian label, it was time for a change. Just then Celine was looking for someone to work on a freelance basis on a pre-collection and the collaboration proved fruitful.
Despite initially not knowing much about the label, Omazic recalled: "I knew that it was one of the Parisian symbols but not more. On my arrival, I dived into the archives and I met Madame Celine."
Celine Vipiana, now aged 85, opened her first shop in Paris in 1945. It sold children's shoes but gradually she developed the label on an international scale into sportswear and ready-to-wear in 1967.
Ivana Omazic
© AFP/File Jacques Demarthon"At first I was overawed. I looked at this unbelievable woman who explained the basis of her work on the product to me, but also what women want to wear, clothes for active women who live in their time," Omazic told AFP.
Softly spoken with long brown hair, the tall Croatian is proud of her nationality, though says she feels herself to be European. She speaks English, Italian, a bit of German and will soon add French to the list -- she's taking lessons three times a week.
Fresh from a hectic Milan catwalk calendar, the international fashion pack moves to Paris this weekend to unveil another 10-day fest of ready-to-wear collections for summer 2006.
Omazic admitted nerves ahead of her appearance on the catwalk as is the tradition for designers at the end of their shows, to face the world's press as well as customers.
But she clearly loves a challenge -- learning Italian for example by reading one of her favourite novels Albert Camus' 'L'Etranger' in Italian with a dictionary before being able to read it in French.
And her hobbies reveal an adventurous spirit -- diving and parachuting. "Once you're launched, all apprehensions disappear," she said. No doubt she'll be hoping for the same on October 6.
© 2005 AFP. All rights of reproduction and distribution reserved. All information displayed on this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.