Hedi Slimane Stayed the Course for CELINE SS19

When Hedi Slimane was announced as the creative director for legendary womenswear label CELINE, speculation about his intent ran wild. Recent interviews and campaigns hinted at a possible shift in stylistic intent — perhaps something less rock ‘n roll than his work for Saint Laurent? However, Slimane elected to do what he does best, yielding a variety of slim-fitting silhouettes that fit neatly into his past oeuvre.

Alongside womenswear that skewed heavily towards iconic French styling (nipped waists, pussybow accents, glittering nightwear), Slimane presented menswear that kept in line with his past collections. Skinny suiting was key, with double-breasted jackets and tiny ties executed in black, white, more black, even more black, and leather (also in black). Inded, the clothing was primarily monochrome, as Slimane prefers, though there were splashes of pattern, shiny sequins and yellow stripes, small touches that lent flair to the dark trousers and sleek blazers.

Men’s accessories were kept to a minimum, the focus was entirely that of clean lines and trim silhouettes. Leather rider jackets and pointy-toed boots with heels appeared consistently, occasionally elevated with touches like prints of cartoon onomatopoeia (“Zoom!” “Bang!”) and monk straps, respectively. Sunglasses appeared throughout informing the collection with the rockstar edge that Slimane built his name upon. Indeed, this show wasn’t for fans of Phoebe Philo’s CÉLINE — this was CELINE by Hedi Slimane, and the designer left no question who was in charge.

Relive the show below and let us know: How did Slimane’s CELINE debut fare? Check out some of the social media reactions below.

Fans can stay tuned for CELINE’s forthcoming schedule of weekly drops.

So, in case we were in any doubt, Hedi Slimane is officially a one-trick pony. And Celine has just lost an entire customer base. #RIP #Celine

— Glynis Traill-Nash (@GlynisTN) September 28, 2018

Welp…that was mostly a disappointment! #Celine

— BoBo The Angsty Zebra (@yosoymichael) September 28, 2018

I’m gathering all my coins and going to purchase as much #oldceline as possible. #phoebephilo created masterpieces. The new direction of #Celine is not for me.

— Tiara Headen (@TiaraHeaden) September 28, 2018

That #Celine show was OFFENSIVE. It was the antithesis of Phoebe’s vision for the house. I’m not opposed to change; Phoebe had her time. But when that change comes in the form of whitewashing, pre-pubescent looking girls and appallingly lazy design literally BYE

— Hannah Tindle (@hannahtindle) September 28, 2018

He has no vision and absolutly no sense of history. It is just rock and roll, which is played out and no longer interesting. #phoebephilo must be laughing and screaming at the same time. RIP #CELINE

— Steven Losco (@runwayopinion) September 28, 2018

Hedi’s boy & girl may want it too, but his cycle are “some years for Fashion” and “some years for Camera”. Can’t keep own maison.#CELINE
https://t.co/d8cKTZHjtw

— Black&Purple (@Black__Purple) September 28, 2018

#HEDISLIMANE's debut show for #CÉLINE has been so cool, congrats!!💋 #ParisFashionWeek

— pau (@thepauribera) September 28, 2018

To be fair it’s his aesthetic so whoever pays for him will get it, if they keep it without him being there… well #celine #HEDISLIMANE

— Yves Cervantes (@YvesCervantes) September 28, 2018

And now we can assert — and with reason — that Hedi Slimane marches to the beat of his own drums. Well done monsieur! https://t.co/DPkigbq1Rb — full review coming shortly#CELINE #CelinebyHediSlimane pic.twitter.com/tHIHThGX3H

— Evangelina Rose (@AboutEvangelina) September 28, 2018