On Sunday morning, while everyone was getting ready for brunch, walking their dogs, in a disarray over the government shutdown or starting homework due that night, LVMH announced that Hedi Slimane would take over as Céline’s new artistic, image, and creative director starting on February 1st. Not only was this major change occurring, but Slimane will also be launching a menswear collection for the fashion house.
The news was both surprising and perplexing. The massive impact that Slimane had during his tenure at Saint Laurent is a cause for concern or anticipation, depending on one’s view of fashion house tradition. Slimane conducted a complete overhaul of Saint Laurent, from dropping the Yves from the nearly 60 year old brand’s name, to ignoring the brand’s traditions and creating a new way style. Many are left wondering if Slimane will direct such stark change into Céline, after nearly a decade of Phoebe Philo’s orchestration of simplicity and quiet power into the brand. The overwhelming assumption is that Slimane will conduct major changes for Céline, not exactly to the same extent that he did in Saint Laurent, but the brand will undoubtedly change.
Philo became Céline’s creative director after leaving Chloé and spending nearly a decade away from working in fashion. The company, Chloé, is much more similar in aesthetic and style to Céline, than Saint Laurent has ever been. Philo focused not on clothing that would attract the male eye, but those of a grown up woman. In her clothes, streamlined, unapologetic and no-nonsense, many women saw themselves. The brand focused on adult women, not on celebrities and exposure, but on designing clothes and creating fashion. Slimane may comprehend this as he moves into his new roles at Céline, but from him already introducing menswear into the range, I am sure he will make waves at the house for years to come.
Saint Laurent Spring 2016 campaign (left) and Céline Spring 2016 campaign (right)
Slimane’s shiny toolbox of rocker chic ready-to-wear, men’s skinny- tailored suits and retro vibes are a striking contrast to the women’s lines that Philo put out for years at Céline, a company whose sole focus was making beautiful and practical clothes for women. This appointment seems to ignore the legacy that Philo has constructed for Céline. Under Slimane’s leadership, Céline will undoubtedly expand many times its current size and exposure, but what attracted Céline’s die-hard customers was the low-key vibes and attention to the craft of fashion of Philo’s vision.
Saint Laurent Fall 2015 Ready-to-Wear (left) and Céline Fall 2015 Ready-to-Wear (right). Photos via Vogue Runway.
Of course change and progress are a crucial part of the fashion industry, and one could never imply that such change should never happen. Slimane’s new roles signal that the brand is becoming more global and I am sure that his new show will be analyzed, critiqued and compared by women from all walks of life, but lets hope that he does not forget the women who built the brand into what it is, when he begins designing.
Cover Photo by: The Fashion Law