Paris Fashion Week SS19: Celine

Diana Bell-Heather   |   28-09-2018

An official changing of the guard occurred in Paris tonight as Hedi Slimane completely remodelled Phoebe Philo’s Celine into his DNA.

 

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Over the last few years Celine has become synonymous with Philo, and many designers would’ve perhaps kept some of her triumphs to please her loyal customers, but not Slimane. The designer has defined his own style over a rich 20-year career and shook the house with his aesthetic, and even introduced a men’s line.

 

Despite the debut being shrouded in secrecy, he did make a few significant changes ahead of the show – like removing the accent from the name and giving his first interview. He also unveiled another bag a few days prior that nodded to the brand’s past, specifically the 70’s and 80’s – the decades that Slimane did very well with during a four year stint at Saint Laurent, as now here.

 

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Disco lights dazzled the runway as esteemed guests like Lady Gaga and Karl Lagerfeld looked upon a practically all black collection – with touches of metallics, punk pink and intoxicating green – of mini dress, short prom skirts, biker jackets, accented shoulders and perfectly tailored suits that were all styled with cowboy boots.

 

Inspired by the iconic clubs of Paris, he delivered his expertly crafted 80’s midnight glamour which was met with a vigorous applause from the show goers. As a drummer dressed in ceremonial uniforms of the Garde Républicaine stepped out onto the darkened runway, models marched out to the beat of his drum – a powerful salute to the new era at Celine.

 

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When Phoebe Philo stepped down fans of her work were in mourning – and some might still be after tonight. But this collection will propel them, and emerging customers, into a new type of frenzy, and that’s what the brand wanted and that’s why Slimane is the person for this job.