Celine Spring Summer 2027 Is All About The Attitude

Michael Rider, now almost two years at the helm of Celine, is not a designer who likes to tinker with grand philosophies or to break down his collection into bite-sized nuggets of information.

Instead, the press release of his latest Celine womenswear collection reads more like a vibey manifesto: “GESTURE & EASE. Elegance. Being fabulous. Fabulousness. And letting clothes just do their job. Our desires and frustrations. Memories, moments that made us love fashion. Moments where you get a glimpse of possibility. Dressing up, and heading out of town. High spirits. Unencumbered. Unfussed. BALLING. Responsibility and shirking it.”

It’s quite the tantalising trail of thought - one that harkens back to possibly earlier eras of fashion where runway shows were not optimised for virality on social media, and clothes were actually the priority, rather than the seeming backdrop for fans obsessed over the latest celebrity “ambassador” for a brand.

Perhaps that’s why his offbeat chic garments have struck such a chord with industry insiders.

Here, a closer look:

The tension is the point

There was a button on every seat at the show with the slogan: “If you shoot an arrow and it goes real high, hooray for you.” Turns out, it’s a quote from Paris is Burning, the cult 1990 documentary on New York’s ballroom scene.

The combination of references may not immediately make sense, but perhaps that is precisely the point. Rider has spoken about being drawn to “tension”, particularly the tension between apparent opposites, and the collection seems to revel in that unresolved space.

That spirit runs through the clothes. French polish meets American ease; glamour sits alongside nonchalance; tailoring is loosened up with jewellery and unexpected proportions — think an oversized suit reined in with a string-thin belt, or conversely a slim knit dress anchored by possibly the largest belt buckle of the season (even larger than the model’s head). The tension is never neatly resolved. Instead, that friction becomes the chic.

Fabulousness, but make it real

“Being fabulous. Fabulousness.”

Rider puts the word right there in the press release, and there is plenty here to make an entrance: satin-finish fabrics, voluptuous coats, silver bangles the size of cantaloupes and slim gowns. But just when a look threatens to become too polished, something wrong-foots it: a scuffed sneaker, a kooky headband, a graphic concert T-shirt peeking from beneath a white satin pantsuit.

The result is glamour that feels lived-in rather than precious. One look at Celine’s Instagram page and it tells the same story: visuals from the show are blurred, as if taken in a hurry, instead of the usual perfectly staged images from other houses. Rider seems to be saying: Who cares about polish when you’re out having fun?

Some of the chicest accessories in the game

There are bags in all manner of shapes and finishes, belts ranging from practically invisible to comically oversized, and jewellery that refuses to be wallflower material. A silver bangle is the size of a cantaloupe; hats that look like boats folded from paper, worn askew, a shoelace-thin belt barely registers against a coat; chunky, sculptural pieces punctuate otherwise restrained looks.

The genius is in the mismatch. Accessories aren’t there to neatly complete an outfit, but to throw it slightly off balance. A little weird, a little excessive, occasionally downright ridiculous. In a collection so preoccupied with tension, they’re often where Rider gets to have the most fun. And honestly? We’re sold.