Why Hedi Slimane joining Céline is the most important appointment in the history of fashion
There’s been a lot said since the announcement that Hedi Slimane will become Céline first ever Artistic Director, tasked with introducing mens wear, couture and fragrance from February. To say Hedi divides opinion amongst fashion folk would be akin to saying the sky is blue and this is why you should care!
Whilst some bemoan his attitude (he famously banned critics if they write about him in a negative light) and his designs are often accused of being derivative and boring. Yet in my opinion he’s one the most important fashion designers of our time, if you don’t believe me just look back at some of his work at Dior Homme and the seminal Fall 2013 mens wear show for Saint Laurent that introduced us to much copied harness boot, ripped skinny jeans and leather jacket look that dominated 2013–2017.
It’ll be interesting to see what he does with Céline menswear, part of Phoebe Philo’s appeal was her ability to inject a masculine edge into sensual garments, her clothes were often described as armour for the modern working woman, but the blouses, shirts and coats were often worn by men too, most famously Kanye West during THAT Coachella performance. I’m also interest to see to see how Céline approach e-commerce, during Pheobe Philo’s tenure they shied away from online sales and have only recently opened up the online portion of their business, with the introduction of an online item checker, which is only limited to small selection of looks. In the direct-to-consumer age that’s not enough and I’m sure the hiring of Hedi Slimane will aim to address that balance and ultimately reintroduce Céline to the global consumer market. With that being said don’t be surprised if you end up seeing Céline on all the major online stores. I for one cannot wait to see what he has up his sleeve!
