Part of Hedi Slimane’s power as an artistic director is his concision: the ability with a mere few pieces to overhaul not just a brand, but also large swaths of fashion. Presented in Paris in July amidst the haute couture shows, this pre-collection was as succinct as the showroom in which it was housed was vast. The Celine look is a boyishly cut blazer, a ruffle-neck button-down, a pair of high-waisted flared jeans, and deceptively humble white trainers, as efficient—and sophisticated—as a code. Labels up and down the market will try to crack it.
That said, Slimane is also a completist, and no detail is too small to merit his attention, as the exacting decor of the house’s first-ever parfumerie, recently unveiled on Paris’s Rue Saint-Honoré, suggests. Here, he turned his eye to delicate ID bracelets and even daintier chain necklaces and stud earrings. Note the gold frames on the aviator shades the models wear in more than half of the pictures, a millimeter or two thicker than the other guys’ sunglasses. Do your favorite jeans suddenly feel incomplete without a gold link and leather belt? Slimane and his Celine redo are the reasons why.
