By Michelle Zhang (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2007-03-19 10:48

Elegant, feminine, active, modern, fashionable ... all these qualities of a woman are, in a word, "Parisian." French luxury brand Celine announced the reopening of its very Parisian store at Shanghai's prestigious shopping destination Plaza 66 March 14.

Compared with the former outlet, which stood quietly to one side of the Nanjing Road mall's vast atrium, the new one is bigger (142 square meters), brighter, and right opposite to the popular Dior shop.

The store symbolizes the French fashion house's dedication to a simple and elegant design aesthetic.

An all-white runway was set up outside the store, on which models showcased the brand's spring-summer fashion inspired by Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being."

Ivana Omazic, Celine's artistic director, dresses "woman as a woman." The collection is ethereal, angelic, fragile, yet sensual and sophisticated as always.

Spring 2007 is for young girls with glorious long legs. All the dresses and shorts have been created to display their beautiful, sun-kissed legs. Futurism is still the key word, but silver has replaced gold of last winter. White is the most popular color. The palette features pale shades of stone, bone, chalk, opal, nude, mist, champagne, ash - the refractions of skin.

Higher and higher is the trend for the heels. Sandals with hollow platform heels or vertiginous wedge heels challenge the limits of both height and beauty. Strappy black sandals and red patent leather sandals elongate the silhouette.

Serge Brunschwig, president and CEO of Celine, says it is very important for a brand to focus on its own identity. "The competition is solid. The other brands come out with creativities all the time. The only way to survive is to differentiate yourself from others," he says.

Some brands design gowns and costumes specially for the night. Celine designs clothes that can be worn "from morning to evening, for working or going out," says Brunschwig.

"I think this is still a big market," he continues. "There are always working ladies who long for elegant, feminine wear made of luxury materials."

The fashion house has opened two stores in Chengdu in Sichuan Province, and Shenyang in Liaoning Province this year. It has nine stores in eight cities on the Chinese mainland and plans to take the brand to other cities such as Kunming and Dalian.

A major fashion show of Celine's autumn and winter collection for 2007 will be held in Beijing in two months when designer Omazic comes to China.

"China is one of the most important and fastest-growing markets for Celine," Brunschwig says. "The Chinese customers have a very strong desire for quality goods. They are willing to discover luxury brands and enjoy them."

Plazz 66
Location: No.1266, Nanjing Xilu, Jingan District
Tel:  021-62790910