Celine Fall Winter 2026: Classics With A Bite

While Michael Rider is only into his third show at the helm of Celine, he’s quickly made it his own, whipping out clothing that feels immediately desirable in their unaffectedness; they are pieces that you could imagine adding to your own wardrobe and having it gel with what you already have, instead of working an outfit to accommodate it.

As Rider so tenderly put it in the press notes, the designer was “thinking about people with style who wear beautiful clothes in a personal way. People you want to look at, get close to, spend holidays with. People with flair. People with bite.”

You could see what he was getting at — after all, he seems to be describing the woman the world is crazy over right now: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, an individual so self-assured that magazines like this one are still churning out innumerable “guides” to help you emulate her style, more than 20 years after her untimely death.

Here’s what caught our eye:

Classics with a twist

Think straight, cropped trousers that flare slightly at the calf, slim overcoats, and double-breasted blazers — but none feel rigid or predictable. Layering is key: little skirts belted over cigarette pants, turtlenecks under paillette-strewn party dresses, and trench coats draped atop eveningwear.

Bucket Hats, Feathers & Other Surprises

Accessories are where Rider’s mischievous side really comes alive. Scarves tied halfway up the face, feathers poking through hair, jangly shell necklaces, and even what seems to be alphabetical charms on a metallic dress added unexpected bite to otherwise refined looks. These little eccentricities let the wearer riff on the clothes, turning each outfit into a statement of personality. Rider’s philosophy is clear: style is what happens when clothes meet character.

He knows how to create a mood

Might we add: Michael Rider knows how to set the mood. The runway itself was stripped-back — a blank canvas behind the Institut de France — but the atmosphere was electric. And then there are the images: the black-and-white portraits shot by filmmaker Gus Van Sant (above, middle) give the collection an extra layer of vibe. They feel timeless yet fleeting, like a Polaroid fading just as you start to get lost in it. Rider isn’t just designing clothes; he’s orchestrating a whole world, from the way the fabrics move to the aura the models radiate. We want in.

Slim, Sharp, and Seriously Effortless

After seasons of linebacker shoulders and puddling pants, Rider trimmed down the volume. FW26 silhouettes are streamlined and wearable: slim trousers, cropped flares, fitted tunics, and sharp tailoring. “A slimmer silhouette just felt fresh… nothing against big clothes, but that just didn’t feel urgent right now,” he said.

Not So Black and White

Even in a collection rooted in blacks, whites, and creams, Rider knows how to wake up the eye. Cyclamen-pink shirts, lipstick-red trousers, bright flares, and carefully placed sequins punctuate the streamlined silhouettes like tiny shocks of joy.