A New Era Begins: Hedi Slimane’s Departure Marks the End of a Chapter for Celine
Hedi Slimane pared the maison to its essence, reviving archival symbols while reinventing understated luxury. A Ralph Lauren alum is announced as the new creative director
The winds of change are blowing in the fashion world once again, as Hedi Slimane bids adieu to Celine after nearly seven transformative years at its helm. Known for shaking things up wherever he goes, the creative director gave the maison a full-blown makeover, one that’s still rippling through the fashion industry.
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Slimane took over as creative director in January 2018, stepping into the shoes of Phoebe Philo, who now has started her label. If anyone thought Slimane was going to ride on his predecessor’s coattails, they were in for a surprise. He rebranded the label’s name by dropping the accent from the ‘e’, restoring it to its original 1960s form. But this wasn’t his first rodeo. After all, he’d already famously stripped the ‘Yves’ out of Yves Saint Laurent in 2012.
Slimane developed a new creative identity for the company that drew largely on its French background, recalling the glitter and grit of the 1960s and 1970s. He delved through the archives and revived the lost Triomphe emblem, which was initially created by founder Céline Vipiana in the 1970s, and used it as the focus of his first hit bag for the company. The Triomphe rapidly became a status symbol and a must-have item for today’s fashion-conscious elite. Slimane’s notion of French cool was more than simply clothes; it was about attitude.
His talent to revive the past with a sharp edge established him as an authority to be believed in. Under his leadership, the brand evolved from a quiet favorite among fashion insiders to a worldwide sensation. The maison became a major player in the world of luxury once again, thanks to Slimane’s touch; and not just in handbags. He introduced menswear, expanded into fragrances, and more recently, even dipped into the beauty world with a line of lipsticks.
Despite having no professional experience in fashion design, Slimane’s rise to prominence was anything from traditional. His path began in 1996, when he was appointed YSL’s ready-to-wear head of menswear designs. By 2000, he was in charge of Dior Homme, where he reinvented menswear with his distinctive skinny design, permanently altering the appearance of modern men’s clothing. After leaving Dior in 2007, he returned to YSL in 2012 as creative director, solidifying his reputation as a crucial visionary. Slimane remained at YSL until 2016, creating ripples in the industry before moving on to the next phase.
Slimane didn’t bow out quietly. In typical Hedi fashion, his final collection—unveiled digitally at Paris Fashion Week—was a love letter to the French it-girls of the 1960s. Titled Un Été Francais, the collection paid tribute to icons like Françoise Hardy, Jane Birkin, and Juliette Gréco. It was a fitting final act for a designer who always looked to the past to shape the future.
Slimane is leaving Celine, and rumors are growing that his next stop may be Chanel—as his final collection is deemed similar to the classic French maison—a post left empty by Virginie Viard earlier this year. However, another popular creative is still at large: Pierpaolo Piccoli. Wherever Slimane goes, it’s evident that his influence will be felt across the fashion industry.
As for Celine, Slimane leaves behind more than just a rebranded logo and a few hit bags. His tenure has laid a solid foundation for the future, rooted in a renewed sense of Parisian style and attitude. It’s not just the end of an era—it’s the beginning of a new one. Enter Michael Rider.
Rider, the former Polo Ralph Lauren women’s creative director, held the role since 2018—the same year Slimane began at Celine. His move back to the maison is a reunion of sorts. Before Ralph Lauren, Rider served as Celine’s ready-to-wear design director under Philo, making his return a full-circle moment filled with surprising connections.
Photos: CELINE
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