ZAGREB, September 14, 2019 - The 23rd International Lace Festival in Lepoglava opened on Friday, with "Magical Royal Lace" as the theme and Spain as the partner country.

The event, which closes on Sunday, features lace from 16 countries, including, for the first time, from Brazil, Venezuela and Puerto Rico, as well as from 11 lace centres in Croatia.

It was opened by Defence Ministry state secretary Zdravko Jakop as the envoy of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, who bestowed the Croatian Charter on the festival for its outstanding contribution to the preservation of Lepoglava lace-making, which is part of UNESCO's Intangible Heritage, and for the successful promotion of Croatia's ethnographic tradition.

Saturday is Partner County Day and visitors can learn about Spain's culture, with emphasis on the flamenco.

Ambassador Alonso Dezcallar de Mazarredo said he was honoured Spain was this year's partner country, adding that Spanish lace whose history dates back to the 15th century would be shown.

Assistant Culture Minister Davor Trupković announced that a Lace-making Museum would be opened in Lepoglava, while Tourism Ministry secretary-general Ivo Basic said such festivals were important for tourism as they nurtured culture and diversity.

More news about festivals in Croatia can be found in the Lifestyle section.

“New York will always be my home. I spent ten years of my life there, the ten most successful years in my modelling career. That is the reason why my sister and I wanted to use the latest collection ‘Helena’s New York’ to pay homage to my favourite city. There are venues which I have to visit whenever I am in the city. I always stay at a hotel in the Soho neighbourhood. One of my favourite restaurants is located there, offering the finest Pavlova, a cake named after the famous Russian ballerina. After brunch, I always buy some magazines and books at the Bookmarc bookstore by designer Marc Jacobs, I walk around and sit on the bench in Washington Square Park,” said Helena Šopar, the top Croatian model originally from Novalja on the island of Pag, known for its lace, reports Večernji List on November 3, 2018.

She has also used New York as a backdrop for a photo-shoot for the new 2018/2019 winter collection of her brand Sopar Collection, which she founded three years ago together with her younger sister Tamara Rebić. The Šopar sisters combine tradition and modernity in their collections, and the leitmotif of each piece of clothing is the lace, which their home island Pag is widely known for. And they are inspired by it: the Lafayette shirt from the new collection was inspired by the male pyjamas from the early 20th century Novalja, while the West Village dress, with lace on its sleeves, was named after one of her favourite New York neighbourhoods.

“Tamara and I imagined a young businesswoman walking as the foliage falls in late autumn and her face feels the final rays of sunshine. I am happy that we have managed to recreate this fantasy picture during the photo-shoot,” said the model talking about her new collection, which is dominated by pastel tones and rich wool dresses.

Almost all pieces of clothing have at least one element med of lace, including earrings.

If you want to read more about the Pag lace, click here.

Translated from Večernji List (reported by Marijana Marinović).

The laceworks created by Mira Fidanza have toured the world.

Croatia has a variety of UNESCO heritage, and one intricate example will be celebrated for the 21st time on September 21, 2017, as the Lepoglava International Lace Festival takes place once again. 

Croatia has a variety of UNESCO heritage, and one intricate example will be celebrated for the 21^st time on September 21, 2017, as the Lepoglava International Lace Festival takes place once again.