Nina Ricci - chic things for women with taste

Interviewed: Elena Olkhovskaya

In April 2009, the new creative director of the French fashion house Nina Ricci was the Englishman Peter Copping, (Peter Copping). The designer, who previously worked with Mark Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, replaced Olivier Tiscens, who left Nina Ricci, in this important post. Behind Peter - a successful study at the Royal College of Art and the legendary Central Saint Martins School in London, as well as many years of experience in the best fashion houses in the world.

Exactly two years after the start of his career as Nina Ricci art director, Peter Copping arrived in Dubai to personally take part in the opening of a brand boutique in the Dubai Mall and the presentation of the new spring-summer collection of the House, as well as the Cabochon Bag, dedicated to the Middle Eastern "face" of Nina Ricci Lina Samman.

Despite all his titles and international fame, Peter turned out to be a very modest and simple young man in communication, and he spoke with pleasure about his work, interests, and travels.

Peter, I heard you have already been to Dubai, though about ten years ago. What are your impressions of the new look of this city?

Honestly, I have not really looked around since I arrived at night. But what I managed to see is the highest skyscraper in the world, which even at night made an indelible impression on me with its power and beauty. It seems to me that this is an amazing building, especially masterfully illuminated in the dark. I believe that in ten years this city has changed a lot? Although 10 years ago I didn’t have much opportunity to get to know Dubai, we just shot in the desert and flew away the next day, so now I’ll try not to miss the opportunity and look around here.

You became the art director of Nina Ricci House just two years ago. What attracted you to this House, after working with Christian Lacroix, Louis Vuitton, and other equally famous Fashion Houses?

Nina Ricci is a brand with a wonderful rich history. He is very French, and thus even closer to me, even though I am an English designer working in France. I really want to expand the creative concept of this brand and move slightly away from the girl’s image towards a more classic femininity. I want things from Nina Ricci to be more tactile, more chic - the way they are that women like to wear with style and the way Madame Ricci herself originally created them. And even more important, I consider such a choice of fabrics, silhouettes and colors, which, without losing their authenticity and recognition, would be modern and practical. For a new generation of women Nina Ricci.

What can surprise and please modern women who are always busy, travel a lot, lead an active lifestyle, but want to remain feminine and elegant?

It is very difficult to surprise a woman today, because the choice of clothes is so great that it is sometimes difficult to navigate. However, you are right, modern women are different from their peers who lived in the last century. They need not simple, but sophisticated casual clothes in order to feel confident and beautiful from morning to evening.

Therefore, we people in the fashion industry need to think about how to please women. How to emphasize their elegance. I believe that today's fashion industry is going through a period of great change. Even collection changes occur much more often and faster than before. Honestly, this fashionable world today is made very funny.

How do you define “fashion” for yourself?

I do not know. Sometimes, I just do my job and don’t think about whether it’s fashionable or not. I do not ask myself these questions, but simply listen to my intuition. Sometimes, fashion for me is the image of a woman. Her clothes, the way she thinks, her character and how she defines fashion for herself.

How do you shape the new Nina Ricci style?

Very often - intuitively. It seems to me that this color should become a new trend in the upcoming season, and I begin to work with it, choosing accompanying contrasting shades for it. Sometimes they come to me, as if I could immediately say what inspired me, but the collection is, for example, Mediterranean, although initially it was not even meant by me. I can catch my eye on something while walking along the street, or the picture in the gallery will cause me certain emotions. As a designer, I strive for excellence in my work, but sometimes I want to turn everything upside down and look at what has been done from a different angle. It helps! Because too feminine and too sweet can turn the entire collection into something doll-like, give it the very same shade. Therefore, I begin to crumple fabrics, combine hard lines with soft silhouettes. This is modernity for me. In a word, it is impossible to describe what Nina Ricci's style, elegance and femininity is made of, but if what I do is like women from all over the world, then I’m doing something right.

Do you have favorite fabrics or textures that you enjoy working with?

Yes, there is one fabric - it is a dense silk with polyester, which I use from season to season. She keeps her shape perfectly, make any drapes, withstand manynumbered manipulations. I also need to work with parachute silk jersey.

What is more in your collections - dresses or trousers?

For me, the main percentage of products in such feminine collections of Nina Ricci, of course, are dresses and skirts. And, by the way, recently they are the leaders in sales. However, I am not against trousers in the women's wardrobe, especially since with them you can always wear a romantic blouse and high-heeled shoes.

Peter, do you like traveling? Where do you prefer to relax?

Since I have to travel a lot around the world thanks to my work, I will answer the first part of the question positively. Yes I love. I like to study the culture and traditions of different countries. But I like to relax in England, where I come from, because I manage to be there less often. At home, I regain strength, I like to spend a lot of time in nature, on the outskirts of London.

Thanks, Peter. Allow me to wish you further creative successes. We look forward to seeing the new Nina Ricci collections in Dubai.

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