A certain insouciant coolness has been part of Hedi Slimane‘s design DNA for as long as one can remember – and that looks set to continue during his reign at Celine, if last night’s show is any indication. The designer, who was appointed artistic, creative and image director of the French label in January, presented his debut Spring 2019 line at Paris’s Hôtel des Invalides on Friday evening, with stars including Lady Gaga and Alexa Chung sat front row.
Enitled “Paris La Nuit”, the 96-look collection was an arresting fusion of glamour, Left-Bank effortlessness, and a touch of the 80s New Wave. Shoulders were sharp and exaggerated, the hemlines short, the color palette predominately black, and the metallics dripping in Studio 54 appeal. Polka dots and voluminous silhouettes opened the show, progressing into shimmering, pouffy Eighties-inspired minis by way of sleek outerwear and short, embellished dresses. It was a departure from Phoebe Philo’s clean lines and minimal layering, with Slimane clearly keen to put his stamp on the brand early on, as he did at Saint Laurent. After all, he’s already dropped the accent from the maison‘s name, and cleverly teased out the introduction of his debut bag, the 16, on the arm of close friend Gaga.
Spring 2019 also, for the first time, introduced menswear, with a series of suiting debuted on the runway. As was to be expected from Slimane, the cuts were skinny, the ties narrow, and the jackets a touch shrunken. “The entire wardrobe worn by the male models is unisex, and therefore will also be available for women,” the designer earlier revealed in a press release. With a lot of leather and a dash of sequins, it’s a collection that will no doubt appeal to the rock’n’rollers, and the Gen Z shoppers.
Scroll through the gallery above to see more from Hedi Slimane’s debut collection for Celine, or peruse the slides before for an exclusive look from the front row.
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