As many designers continue to depart brands and relocate to other fashion houses, it's certainly becoming increasingly difficult to keep track. Alessandro Michele was just named head of Valentino after Sabato De Sarno was snapped up to fill the role left vacant by Michele. The next big shake-up? Well, the word on Fashion Avenue is that Hedi Slimane is leaving Celine.
The rumors began flying since the designer is currently negotiating his contract with parent company LVMH. Slimane actually took over the French fashion house in 2018 after Phoebe Philo departed. Pretty big minimalist shoes to fill. But Slimane has managed to leave his mark over his six-year run. He brought his love for sexy, all-black outfits that lean 80s to the brand. Slimane has a real knack for fusing seemingly opposite aesthetics, like boho and rock 'n' roll.
He also made baseball caps fashion with his Celine Spring 2021 track runway show. Although Slimane's Celine wasn't a hit, at least initially. Apparently, it took consumers a spell to warm up to his vision, but warm up they did. Celine's earnings reportedly topped $2.1 billion last year. That's good news for Gucci seeing as after its change in management, sales have dropped.
We are left wondering if the fashion landscape will change once again and who will potentially replace Slimane. There's at least one name being thrown around. Current Polo Ralph Lauren designer Michael Rider may just be the frontrunner. Makes sense since he previously worked for Celine for 10 years under the watchful eye of Philo.
The other big question? If Slimane does in fact leave Celine, where will he go? He'll certainly be a valuable asset for any fashion house so we'll just have to wait and see if he goes to greener pastures.
Celebrity admirers are probably pretty stressed out. Which is totally understandable. Out of the gate, Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, Dakota Johnson, Natalie Portman and Emma Stone embraced the brand's new direction. But the biggest Celine by Slimane devotee is Blackpink's Lisa Manoban. She's such a supporter that Slimane made her a Celine ambassador.
"To me, Celine is unrivalled, and Hedi Slimane has such a multifaceted talent — from clothing design to photography. He creates this rare, incredible, and desirable world through his vision. I'm always inspired by his work," she admits.
While nothing is set in stone, yet, we're feeling nostalgic. So we've rounded up some of Slimane's top Celine moments. From his first offering for Spring 2019 to what may very well be his final collection.
