The showroom setup for the interim Céline collection between the departure of Phoebe Philo and the arrival of Hedi Slimane felt, by necessity, like a mournful pause. The season known as Fall 2018 was displayed in the showrooms at Céline headquarters on the Rue Vivienne, the “work of Phoebe’s studio,” as we’re told. The last collection fully overseen by her will enter stores on June 4. Hedi Slimane is, meanwhile, working to set up his Los Angeles–Paris studio system for his reboot of the brand, to be revealed in September.
The fill-in season continues in the Philo spirit: the oversize coats; flared, slouchy-proportioned pantsuits; a knife-pleated, A-line dress with a drawstring neckline. The design team and developers she brought together shouldn’t be underestimated—after all, Philo was able to hire the most skilled of technicians and the brightest of graduate talents to work with her. As the remaining collective who backed up her extraordinary tenure, they projected forward enough to mesh in with at least two relevant trends of this season. One was an abstracted Little Red Riding Hood coat made from luxurious burgundy nappa leather; the other, a patchwork of silk headscarves. It was made into a dress, quirkily decorated with jeweled toggles. They were interesting. But the rest is history.
