Where Hedi Slimane‘s last Celine menswear collection was quite the abrupt about-face from his previous outings, his new women’s show was more of an evolution, a loosening-up, even. The codes he has established over the past several seasons were still there, but seen through a new lens-the youth’s. The attitude was more relaxed, with pieces to match. The first look said it all: a collarless leather jacket with big gold buttons, worn with a little silk top, cropped jeans, flat boots and a baseball cap—the outfit of a girl who raided her bourgeois mother’s wardrobe in search of a statement jacket.
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The pussybow blouses and little tweed jackets that have become House signatures are present as well, now worn with jeans and shorts. Slimane also kept the long pleated ’70s dresses—some of them tiered and sparkling, some fully hand-embroidered, but all worn with a certain nonchalance, often with a hoodie shrugged over. It was a nod to these WFH times, but with a dose of much-needed glamour as we collectively tire from living in sweats all the time. Tracksuits came sequinned, sweatpants were worn with leather jackets, and everything was grounded by flat shoes—fur slides, Celine-branded wellies, sneakers and hiking boots amongst them. The logo briefs from the men’s collection found their counterpart here in the form of logo bra tops, which looked especially good worn under sharp oversized blazers or slouchy flannel shirts—glam or grunge, take your pick.
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That multiplicity of choice was a cleverly calculated move on Slimane’s part to appeal to wide swathes of consumers. The tailoring and the easy dresses will resonate with those who come to the House for polish and sophistication, but the faded jeans, short shorts, hoodies, printed tees, and bucket hats will undoubtedly bring in a new, younger group of fans. Slimane even made the shrewd choice of casting Kaia Gerber in her first runway appearance for the brand, and which 21-year-old wouldn’t want to look as cool as she did in her Celine bra, denim shorts, leather blazer and baseball cap?
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Photos: Courtesy