When Hedi Slimane was announced to succeed Phoebe Philo at Celine, many expressed concern at how the label will change with him at the helm. Previously employed at Saint Laurent and Dior, Slimane and his designs had considerable following, but his style is a stark contrast from Philo’s vision. With tiny changes before Slimane’s debut collection, such as returning to old form when the accent was removed and the purging of Celine’s Instagram account, Celine has created a hype around the label’s first show without Philo. The presentation was met with great anticipation, even more than for other labels; the reception, however, was completely another matter.
Slimane’s Celine debut was widely panned by the fashion community. Some criticisms include going along the notes of misogynistic, tone-deaf, and narcissistic. The Hollywood Reporter even went to compare Slimane with the current POTUS, saying that the former may be fashion’s Donald Trump. Tim Blanks wrote on an editorial for Business of Fashion that the show was a “gust of toxic masculinity”. The reaction from fans are arguably even harsher than that of fashion journalists’.
Slimane, not new to negative reactions hurled towards his way, has a history of taking his counter arguments to social media and other public platforms. A spat with former New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn has been well-documented, and he has also slammed other rivals publicly. It was only expected that he would make a statement soon enough, before the talk even died down. Slimane responded to Loïc Prigent regarding the criticism on his new collection through an email, revealed in the show “5 Minutes de Mode by Loïc Prigent” that covered his debut.
The designer felt that “lightness and insouciance are being questioned in fashion.” Among the notes made against the collection was that it took the opposite direction than the old Celine, featuring very thin, young models clad in edgy clothing, missing the casual elegance that Philo’s creations exuded. Addressing this and the Trump comparison, Slimane questioned women’s choice to be free and liberated in their clothing. “There’s politics, conflicts of interest and cliques, a predictable viewpoint, but also astounding exaggerations of conservatism and puritanism,” he adds after making a point that he has already witnessed the same during his stint at Saint Laurent. Interestingly, his work at Saint Laurent was often compared with his first collection at Celine, and that is also an area where Slimane was often criticized.
The creative director also thought that the communities in the United States and the United Kingdom took his collection more negatively than the others, taking issue with his short skirts and dresses. For the former, he even blamed homophobia to be at play, saying that Americans did not appreciate having a man take over a woman and design clothes intended for women. If anything, though, Slimane sees an opportunity out of the negative press, as did others. It is still publicity for the brand, which we’ve seen work for Saint Laurent. Slimane concludes, “this crystalizes a truly French spirit of anti-conformity and freedom at Celine.”
Image credits: Yanshan Zhang/Getty Images, Mich Cardin for W Magazine, Y.R.
