Hedi Slimane’s First Collection for Celine Was More of the Same

It’s a pretty unsettling feeling to be at a fashion show in Paris while back in the United States, Brett Kavanaugh, accused of sexual assault, seems all but confirmed to sit on the highest court in the land. Throughout the day conversation oscillated between talk of the testimony-Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s stunning and compelling show of strength and Kavanaugh’s thoroughly unhinged 45-minute rant-and what Hedi Slimane would do at Celine.

For 10 years, Celine was a label for women by a woman. Phoebe Philo’s designs respected women, their busy lives, their bodies-she created clothing that made you feel like you could go out into the world and take on whatever lay before you, whether it was a board meeting or a PTA meeting, or, as is often the case, both in the same day.

So, it was disappointing, if not surprising, that Slimane’s first collection for Celine took none of that respect for women into account. The clothes were tight, short, shiny, seemingly made for the millennial models he debuted the collection on. It was a radical departure from Philo’s Celine, but not dissimilar to what Slimane did at Saint Laurent or Dior Homme.

A highlight were the suits for women, this is Slimane’s sweet spot (along with accessories). He also debuted menswear, a first for the Celine label. If you’re a fan of what Slimane has done everywhere else, you’ll be happy with this collection. If you were looking for any thread tying back to Philo’s legacy, you’ll have to look elsewhere. I recommend TheRealReal. (Seriously though, Philo Celine is disappearing fast.)