ain showers often sneak up on you when you least expect them, so it is important to keep at least one nice, stylized umbrella at hand so you are prepared for whatever spring weather throws at you. Umbrella manufacturers often focus only on the rain-protection function and forget that the umbrella can be a stylish accessory. Why then are we so surprised that the umbrella has without a reason become uninteresting and just one of the most commonly lost items?

t is time to stop umbrellas from being like an ugly duckling of the fashion world, and thanks to these small master pieces you will be looking forward to the next rain.

The new collection of Croata umbrellas of Croatian production is intended for the stylistic expression and character of the three groups of women.

he foldable dotted umbrella with spots like those found on Dalmatian dogs, decorated with a cheerful shade of orange and a picture of three cute Dalmatian dogs, will win the heart of every pet-friendly romantic and brighten up her dreary day. It is small enough to fit any purse and has two purposes: one is to keep you from rain and take on the role of a statement accessory, while the other is somewhat unusual in our region, but with regard to climate change not so unexpected. Namely, your umbrella turns into a parasol when needed. (Did you know that parasols existed before rain umbrellas?)

he other design may or may not be very familiar to you. There is not a local, passer-by or a traveller who has not at least once walked down the Oktogon passage in Zagreb and looked at the impressive dome that covers it.

This dome served as an inspiration to Croata´s design studio when designing umbrellas. e ladies with the Oktogon umbrellas.

The ladies with the Oktogon umbrella, no matter where life takes them, no matter where they travel to, sooner or later return to this same passage in Zagreb. Check yourself if you do not believe us! (Do not forget that Croata has silk scarfs of the same design so it would not be a bad idea to combine a solid umbrella in beautiful pastel colour prints with a delicate silk scarf of the same design.

e have not just focused on the romantics; there is also a lovely lady’s umbrella, and not just one, but a whole collection. It is an umbrella which helps a lady to hide from the eyes of the strangers, of course - if she wants to. It frames her and highlights her tenderness, grace, and sensuality. It might look like a classic from the outside, black with red edging, as one might expect, but if you look closely at the woman holding it, you will notice that it hides a mysterious story in its dome. When a lady puts an umbrella on her shoulder, the entire Secession world with abundant vines highlighted in red colour reveals itself.

Combine this impressive umbrella with Croata Brijuni oversized silk scarf that will, fluttering in the breeze of a rainy day, trail behind you gracefully.

Whether you prefer umbrellas in pastel colour prints with a design inspired by our favourite Zagreb dome or you prefer umbrellas in bold, classic colours that are black on the outside and hide a romantic and sensual secession story on the inside – we are sure you will, by opening them, know how to express your character.

There is an important person in umbrella history and his name is Jonas Hanway, a philanthropist and a traveller who has changed the course of umbrella history in England. He is said to be the first man in London who had the courage to appear in public with an umbrella in his hand. Having observed men using them in his journeys overseas, he did not get discouraged, and continued to hastily defy the angry coachmen who would deliberately splash him with muddy water from the gutter as they drove by. Hanway has been appearing regularly with an umbrella in public for 30 years, and by the time he died in 1786, men as well as women were happily carrying umbrellas.

So, we can safely say that the connotation of ‘ugly duckling’ from the beginning of the text is completely unnecessary. Just like Jonas Hanway, you should also become a fan of umbrellas.