CELINE HOMME Winter 2023 "PARIS SYNDROME" Is a Hedonistic Indie-Electro Paradise
Hedi Slimane does it again, making a case for the return and rise of indie sleaze, club kids, and reliving our youth.
Hedi Slimane is a romantic, a lover for nostalgia, studious, and, above all else, a man with a strict set of rules he follows when it comes to designing his CELINE HOMME collections. Last night, the House took over the iconic French nightclub Le Palace to debut its men’s Winter 2023 collection, “PARIS SYNDROME,” and it was simply Slimane on top form.
Following on from its L.A. “AGE OF INDIENESS” runway that came in December, CELINE HOMME took over Paris with a collection that divulged in the return of indie sleaze. While expected from Slimane — whose work consistently caters to the rock star within us all — the Winter 2023 collection expanded the designer’s signature with hedonistic Queer joy.
Le Palace was a fitting location, with its walls holding the secrets of iconic and wild parties thrown in the 1970s and ’80s, hosting the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Grace Jones, Prince, Karl Lagerfeld, Andy Warhol, Serge Gainsbourg, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall and countless other legends in the music, art, and fashion scene. It is one of Paris’ first gay nightclubs, and it has gone on to become a beacon of self-expression and freedom. Dear to Slimane’s heart, Le Palace is a club that the designer used to frequent as a youth and, to this day, still attends.
With this in mind, the theater space was packed to the rafters with seated and standing attendees, predominantly comprising of Parisian and New York City club kids that Slimane draws his influences. Muses, if you like, included everyone from the band The Murder House to The Libertines’ Pete Doherty (and his dog), as well as icons such as BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Wiz Khalifa, and Emily in Paris‘ Camille Razat.
As for the show, it commenced with a light sequence that unfolded on the stage as an extended version of Suicide’s “Girl” played aloud. High-pitched synths and erotic groans set the tone for what was one of CELINE HOMME’s sexiest collections to date.
Diving into today’s revival of Y2K electroclash and electronic rock sounds, scenes, and communities, Slimane commenced with a quintessential number: leather pants, tight to the skin, and a studded leather biker jacket. This evolved into an explosive iteration, seeing the studs grow in size and dart across another leather ensemble with black sunglasses, Cuban heel boots, and the House’s “Nightclubbing” parfum tying the look together.
While plenty of signatures were on display — Western fringed leather jackets, studded blousons, leopard prints, skater sneakers, and sheer fabrics making their presence known — it was the introduction of authentic indie identities that stole the show.
Tweed overcoats were wide on the shoulder and narrowed towards the knee, sequined snakeskin-esque materials made up blazers, denim was cut into jackets that sat cropped on the waist and wide on the shoulder once again, and faux fur elevated overcoats with volume, excess, and opulence. The looks were taken straight from the indie rocker’s wardrobes of the 2000s; T-shirts bore midriffs, while CELINE HOMME’s classic suits were slightly raised to sit snugly and hug the body while trousers were cropped and flared.
We found skinny ties wrapped around the necks of shirts sporting sharp collars, intricate sequin embroidery decorating the entirety of dinner jackets fit for a night out on the town or to be worn in an actual palace, cheetah print bolos, zebra-striped velvet pants, and so much more that continued to shape CELINE HOMME’s vision.
Ultimately, this was Slimane once again proving that he, and only him, can do what he does best. His taste and execution is simply inimitable, despite it being drawn from the past and lived experiences. Whether it was a cropped leather jacket cut with a Western chest panel on the front and rear, encrusted Cuban heels, or a camp jacket that incorporated a bow tie into its glitter-trimmed structure, CELINE HOMME Winter 2023 didn’t miss a beat. Take a look at the latest collection from CELINE HOMME above.
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