All change at Celine: Hedi Slimane exits, Phoebe Philo-era designer Michael Rider to take reins

Turbulence astatine the apical of the luxury manner houses continued contiguous arsenic Celine announced the departure of Hedi Slimane, “artistic, originative and representation director” of the location since January 2018. It was followed, conscionable implicit 2 hours later, by different connection which announced Michael Rider, erstwhile originative manager of Polo Ralph Lauren, volition beryllium the succeeding creator director.

The quality comes aft months of manufacture murmurs astir an imminent Slim-exit. Slimane, who made skinny jeans a mainstay of the 2010s, volition present caput up likelihood arsenic the adjacent imaginable originative manager astatine Chanel, which has been leaderless since Virginie Viard near the presumption successful June. It’s a $20 cardinal question which has the manufacture successful hysterics.

Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s longstanding originative manager betwixt 1983 and his decease successful 2019, was famously a instrumentality of Slimane. It is manner lore that Slimane was being groomed to travel successful his footsteps, and would measurement up erstwhile the clip was right.

Slimane’s tenure astatine Dior Homme (2000 – 2007), wherever helium was champion known for the instauration of super-skinny silhouettes, caught the precocious manner designer’s eye. “I abruptly wanted to deterioration apparel designed by Hedi Slimane,” Lagerfeld said, earlier losing six and fractional chromatic successful the aboriginal 2000s successful bid to bash so. Slimane was besides originative manager of Saint Laurent (and down the dropping of the “Yves” from the brand) 2012 – 2016.

“The holistic imaginativeness of Hedi Slimane, his exigence and rigour person made it imaginable to redefine the codes of Celine whilst reaffirming its feminine and Parisian roots,” Celine said successful a statement. “He has besides remarkably enriched caller territories for the Maison specified arsenic the men’s silhouette, couture and haute parfumerie.” His clip astatine Celine volition beryllium champion recalled for introducing his benignant of rock-star grunge, ace slim-fit tailoring, striking run videos (the astir caller saw him instrumentality implicit Norfolk’s Holkham Hall), a blow-out manner amusement successful Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre, and a drawstring of palmy handbags; the astir celebrated container was his first, the briefcase-esque “16 handbag”, which helium launched with the assistance of Lady Gaga.

And what adjacent for Celine, a location that started beingness (as Céline) in 1945 arsenic a children’s boutique earlier shifting to women's manner successful the sixties, launching its archetypal ready-to-wear postulation successful 1967, and being bought by LVMH successful 1987? Top designers person walked done its doors: Michael Kors helped modernise its representation during his tenure (1997 – 2004), earlier Phoebe Philo ensured its cult presumption during her decennary astatine the top, from 2008. You mightiness callback the advertisement campaigns featuring Joan Didion, Sandra Hüller and Daria Werbowy promoting her stripped back, utilitarian chic.

Well, lovers of Philo mightiness beryllium successful luck. Rider, who started his vocation astatine Balenciaga nether Nicolas Ghesquière, spent a decennary moving astatine Celine nether Philo earlier taking connected the Polo Ralph Lauren relation successful 2018.

"Celine is simply a Maison with values precise adjacent to my bosom and a beauteous practice to physique on,” helium said successful a statement. “I americium honored [sic] to travel backmost and signifier the aboriginal of the Maison unneurotic with the Celine team.”

The assignment volition rise further questions astir fashion’s diverseness issue, arsenic truthful fewer apical plan positions astatine luxury houses are held by women.

Rider starts successful aboriginal 2025.