Hedi Slimane Exits Celine, Succeeded By Phoebe Philo-Era Alum
Hedi Slimane is exiting Celine after almost seven years as artistic director, the house confirmed on Wednesday. Michael Rider, who spent 10 years at the Celine under Slimane's predecessor Phoebe Philo, will succeed him, starting at the label early next year.
Slimane was first appointed to lead Celine in January 2018. He was quick to make his mark on the house, controversially rebranding the name and logo to more closely resemble the house’s original 1960s design by dropping the accent on the e (a move which came after Slimane famously rebranded Yves Saint Laurent to simply Saint Laurent in 2012).
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For Slimane, it was the first step in establishing a new creative identity for the house that was more deeply rooted in its French heritage and harked back to its 1960s and 1970s heydays. Alongside this, he launched a new hero bag, the Triomphe, which resurrected an emblem from the house’s archives, first introduced by founder Céline Vipiana in the 1970s.
This creative vision was on display when, on Sunday, Slimane dropped a surprise digital show during Paris Fashion Week, his last collection for the house. Titled Un Été Francais, the show paid tribute to French it-girls for the 1960s, including Françoise Hardy, Jane Birkin and Juliette Gréco.
Under Slimane’s watch, Celine has soared, with brand sales almost tripling since he joined to surpass the impressive €2 billion (£1.7 billion) milestone in 2023, according to parent company LVMH. He has also expanded the house into menswear, fragrance, and, more recently, make-up, debuting a line of lipsticks earlier this year.
Slimane’s exit comes as rumours are circulating the star designer could be in the running for creative director position at Chanel, which has been without a designer since Virginie Viard exited in June.
Celine thanked Slimane for his contribution to its legacy. ‘The holistic vision of Hedi Slimane, his exigence and rigour have made it possible to redefine the codes of Celine whilst reaffirming its feminine and Parisian roots,’ the house said in a statement. ‘The extraordinary journey taken together over the last seven years has made Celine a house with a formidable foundation for the future.’
Rider's return to Celine could signal another creative shift. He previously worked as design director under Philo, who transformed the French house into one of the most cult labels in the market with her luxe minimalist, unfussy aesthetic, which amassed a dedicated fanbase of ‘Philophiles’. Rider began his career working alongside Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga, and, most recently, was creative director of Polo Ralph Lauren.
Celine's chief executive said Rider's intimate knowledge of the brand and his 'strong connection to Celine's heritage' made him a 'natural choice' to take over the creative reins.
'Celine is a maison with values very close to my heart and a beautiful heritage to build on,' he said in a statement. 'I am honoured to come back and shape the future of the maison together with the Celine team.'
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