AS CREATIVE, ARTISTIC, AND IMAGE DIRECTOR OF THE LEGENDARY FRENCH READY TO WEAR AND LEATHER LUXURY GOODS BRAND, HEDI SLIMANE HAS UPPED ITS FALL/WINTER LUXURY ANTE IN FASCINATING WAYS

BY KARDIA YAZMYNE WILLIAMS PORTRAIT PHOTO AND RUNWAY PHOTOS COURTESY OF CELINE

After years of streetwear, frayed jeans, and the otherwise “anything goes” aesthetic that has been such a powerful presence on the fashion scene, this year, the style pendulum is swinging with the temperatures. The fall/winter 2019 runway shows of Burberry, Victoria Beckham, and Balenciaga were, suddenly, flooded with models sauntering in tailored, posh looks. The trend, dubbed “Bougie Girl” (derived from the word “bourgeois” and defined by the Urban Dictionary’s as “aspiring to be a higher class than one is”) marks a fresh era of polished elevation. Yes folks, dressing well is in style again, and no collection epitomized this poised aesthetic more adeptly than Celine, the French prêt à porter and luxury goods brand founded in 1945 by Céline Vipiana, and owned by Paris based LVMH since 1996.

Celine’s newest pieces exude this fresh air of refinement in the form of silky blouses with dainty bows paired with pleated knee length tweed skirts, culottes in every imaginable variation (from denim to tweed and leather) and tailored blazers and printed silk neck scarves paired…with just about everything. Brand Creative Director Hedi Slimane’s influence was pivotal in this shift one that was more evolution than revolution for the label, but which was a bit of a surprising shift for the 51 year old industry veteran.

Slimane began his tenure as Creative, Image and Artistic Director for Celine in 2018 after serving as creative director for Yves Saint Laurent from 2012 to 2016, prior to that holding the same title at Dior Homme from 2000 to 2007 (starting the position at an incredible 32 years old). In earlier years, he studied Art History at the École du Louvre, then apprenticed as a tailor prior to a rst major gig at Louis Vuitton, where, from 1992 to 1995, he assisted style guru Jean Jacques Picart on a project making the centenary of the house’s famed monogram canvas. A photographer since age 11, he still participates in shoots.

A subtle but telling change began shortly after Slimane’s ascendancy to his newest gig: he changed the 74 year old brand’s name from Céline to Celine (dropping the accent) to a variety of raised eyebrows in the style community. The move, it was opined, was meant to herald a shift to a less formal aesthetic by the French born designer, and his first collection, largely in black and white, attempted to infuse youth culture and associated party readiness, along with more theatricality. It struck many as a shocking move, though it shouldn’t have; Slimane had done much the same at YSL and Dior, to considerable nancial success. The Washington Post’s Robin Givhan thundered that he’d replaced Céline’s decades old “hyper discreet minimalism with a hint of cool girl air” with one “driven by youth culture, indie rock and sulking adolescence.”

In any case, Slimane’s vision was certainly a departure from that of his predecessor, Phoebe Philo, whose clean, minimalist aesthetic and ease of elegance created a cult following. Still, the new head was unbowed seemingly toughened by twenty years of ruffing feathers and challenging the status quo.

Whether in response to last year’s hubbub or a simple acknowledgement that currents were shifting towards a more refined style, this fall/winter look book was an adventure in at once more practicality and traditional sophistication. Highlights included a tailored blazer layered over a silk blouse styled with leather culottes, thigh high boots (some fleece lined, and in various shades from rich cognac to an autumnal mustard yellow) layered over crisp denim. There were also cozy sweaters, sweeping capes, and plush fleece coats. Equal parts town & country and urban sophisticate and emphasizing neutral hues of grey, camel, beige, and black, Slimane’s collection fused Parisian style circa 1970s with a dose of English aristo cratic equestrian, the latter often quite literally in the form of horse bit belts and saddle detailing, blended with aviator shades and wide brim hats. The result is classic inspired, still Slimane modern but with a grander scope. A relaxed elegance of sorts, much like the brand of yesteryear. Still, Slimane managed to stealthily incorporate his signature rock and roll aesthetic in pieces like metallic gold lamé culotte short sets, sequined skirts and leather bomber jackets.

The work received rave reviews from editors this time, who proclaimed “the return of good taste” and that “Slimane’s Celine woman just got ladylike.”

We might attempt a slightly more nuanced analysis that customers have been treated to a truly meaningful evolution for the house one that keeps the best of the old while acknowledging that sophistication isn’t and can’t be static, that it requires nurturing, wit, and a sense of adventure in order to be sellable.

Celine
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