Cardin to show new collection in Belgrade this weekend

French designer Pierre Cardin will present a new haute couture collection in the palace of Serbia's crown prince Aleksandar II Karadjordjevic, the palace media service said Thursday.

"He will personally present a new collection of some 200 designs" on Saturday in Belgrade, a spokeswoman of the Karadjordjevic family, which plays mainly a social role in Serbia which is a republic, told AFP.

Cardin, 89, is due to arrive in Serbia's capital Friday, she added.

Italian-born Cardin has been a trailblazer in a career that has spanned more than six decades. He was one of the first designers to bring Western style to Asia and one of the first to develop brand licensing.

His name now adorns hundreds of products worldwide: from shirts to bottled water to furniture.

He announced in 2011 that he was looking for a buyer for his label -- so long as he retained artistic control and received the one billion euros he insists the company is worth.