As Peter Copping prepares to show his first ready-to-wear collection for Nina Ricci this evening in Paris, he hints at differentiating himself from Olivier Theysken's dark, romantic Ricci woman of season's past.

Copping plans to evolve the ultrafeminine look of his recent cruise collection, "with bows, lace, tulle and lingerie-like details" adding that Nina Ricci's core is "womanly romanticism" rather than "brash sexiness."  Calling to mind Theysken's well-reviewed fall 2009 collection of super sharp jackets, skirts slit high, and gravity-defying platforms, Copping raises the question of wearability.

As the fifth designer to take the reigns at Nina Ricci in the past nine years—after Theyskens, Lars Nilsson, James Aguiar, and Nathalie Gervais—Copping claims his path to success will be a focus on what sells and not the avant-garde. His spring 2010 collection will be shown this evening at 8pm in Paris.

[WWD]

Source: WWD