Zodiac Tales
Episode 7.
A new month means a new Zodiac Tales episode! What better way to move through 2024 on a inspiring and positive note?
Alongside the launch of our new Zodiac Signs silk bandanas we wanted to create something special. A link, a connection between two worlds. We have therefore invited some of our favourite personalities to join us and share their experiences and knowledge as their own astrological signs.
And what a delight it all was.
Our 7th guest ambassador is Christina Zeller. Former Delvaux artistic director and right-hand man of Lagerfeld, McQueen and Tisci. As a Cancer, she tells us about her career, her maternal side and her new projects!
Here's the full interview, enjoy !
Hello Christina, welcome to our boutique in the center of Brussels, we're so happy to have you here!
To start things off could you tell us a bit more about you and what you do?
My name is Cristina Zeller, I have almost 40 years
of experience in the fashion and luxury professions.
I got into fashion somewhat by chance, like my mother.
I started out in modeling for a bit and then ended up staying there my whole life.
The customers always asked me:
“So what would you buy? What would you do?”
So gradually, I took the place of sales manager and then after that I spent seven
years in a small family ready-to-wear house, but which was already known internationally.
Afterwards, I spent a year at Lanvin, then I spent eight years with Karl Lagerfeld.
There, it was fantastic, when you have the chance to work with designers
like Karl, you have wings, you are passionate about everything and working is fun.
I had different responsibilities which evolved and
covered different ranges of products: ready-to-wear, shoes, jewelry, glasses.
And then, I spent a year at Lacroix.
It was a big shock because going from Lagerfeld where everything is rather rigorous.
With Christian Lacroix, nothing was enough.
That is to say that when there was golden leather, you had
to add another patina, you always had to add something more.
The partnership with LVMH ended and I left for
Givenchy where I started working with Alexander McQueen.
Of course, at Givenchy, Alexander McQueen was the revolution and
I was responsible for the entire men's and women's accessories department at
Givenchy and I stayed there until working with Riccardo Tisci.
And then afterwards, I arrived in Belgium at the end of 2011
with a real challenge - it was making Delvaux an international brand.
When I arrived, I believe that the international department was 7% and when I left, 70%.
And that was, I would say, perhaps the consecration of my career -
creative direction, marketing direction and communications direction.
And I spent almost ten wonderful years there.
If you could describe your personality in 3 words, which would you choose?
I would say passionate, creative and very sensitive.
What's astrology for you?
I believe in astrology a little.
I would say it suits me when I look
and I come across something that is positive.
What do you know about your own sign? (cancer)
I knew quite a few words on my own sign before because a lot of people tell me:
“Ah you are a perfect cancer”.
And often similar words come back like: generous, maternal, creative, sensitive.
Cancers are intuitive and empathetic,
Does this intuition play a role in the direction of a fashion house?
It’s true that I am very intuitive.
Sometimes I feel like I'm like a satellite dish.
It's important, but you also have to have convictions
because having intuitions, you have to share them and that is not enough.
I have to sell my intuition.
Because when you are an artistic director, it is not enough to have
intuitions and to say: “ah I think we should do pink or purple.”
Children of the moon, Cancers deeply feel emotions,
How do you manage to keep it balanced?
You have to learn to manage your emotions and always
feel in agreement or faithful to your beliefs or with your choices.
Water signs, relationships are extremelly important for Cancers,
How did this play when managing multiple teams?
I have always had extremely maternal management,
that is to say that I have always protected my teams.
I don't like conflict and I don't like dealing with conflict.
At Givenchy, we of course had coaching sessions with people who came from outside.
My team was asked to describe my department and they actually said:
"It's a real kitchen where everyone comes to eat lunch together around the table."
What are you most proud of in your life?
To have each time left a trace in the fashion houses I worked at -
there was always a before and after Christina.
And then I would also say to have made my teams grow and to have managed certain
people who have had careers that are almost more important than mine.
Is there anything you'd like to add?
I have a phrase that I love and that I applied a lot at Delvaux:
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Can you tell us what you're working on and where can people find you?
We launched a small leather goods brand, I would say luxuriously unusual.
We started this collection with two bags, so we can find it on our
Instagram, @damiaan.co, and our website in exactly the same way.
(Roseline) Beautiful, that's a wrap!
Christina is wearing the Cancer silk astrology bandana from our brand new silk bandana collection based on zodiac signs and mythology.
Order yours HERE
Be quick, we only have a handful available!
Find us
Website : https://www.roselinedoreye.com
Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.com/roselinedoreye/
Find Christina
Damiaan : https://www.damiaan.co/
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