Hedi Slimane Looks Back To The 1960s – A Golden Decade For Celine
Thigh-skimming A-line dresses; coordinated two-piece skirt suits; youthful renditions of ladylike handbags; and, to quote The Velvet Underground, "shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather" – FEMALE turns the spotlight on La Collection de L’arc de Triomphe, the maison’s coolly cinematic Winter 2024 collection.
The 1960s was when Celine gained acclaim as a French ready‐to‐wear house with simple yet elegant designs for women that prioritised function as much as style. Featuring a comprehensive range of matching jacket‐and‐mini‐skirt suits crafted from materials that are a modern recreation of archival fabrics unique to the label, the collection is a nod to these origins.
The collection – anchored by graphic, minimalist silhouettes – is also a tribute to the late American fashion and portrait photographer Richard Avedon, a dear friend and mentor to Celine's artistic, creative and image director, Hedi Slimane.
Confetti cashmere goat shearling coat with matching hood, Teen Garance patent calfskin top‐handle bag and Les Bottes Celine Triomphe patent calfskin boots, Celine
Verneul wool jacket and matching Trapeze mini skirt; wool top; Triomphe wool felt cap; Triomphe 13 acetate sunglasses; Les Perles gold‐finish brass earrings with resin pearls; and Les Bottes Celine Triomphe
patent calfskin boots, Celine
Chasseur wool crepe jacket and matching Trapeze mini skirt; silk blouse; and Lily Perforated Triomphe Babies patent calfskin Mary Janes, Celine
Upon arriving at the maison in 2018, Slimane redesigned Celine’s historical emblem, which referenced the chains encircling the Arc de Triomphe, with a modernist slant.
He named it the Triomphe and has since established it as the brand’s most distinctive motif. This season, it appears embroidered onto felt hats that are a 1960s‐inflected take on Celine’s popular baseball caps, and as hardware on all of the new must‐know bags, including the Teen Nino – a cutesy‐chic (read: very current) update on vintage top‐handle bags.
Lambskin blouson with printed yoke, wool top and wool mini skirt, Celine
Verneuil cashmere tweed jacket and matching Trapeze mini skirt; wool top with pearl embroidery; Triomphe wool felt cap; Triomphe 13 acetate sunglasses; Glaçon plexiglass ring with gold‐finish brass hardware; Teen Nino patent calfskin top‐handle bag; and Les Bottes Celine Triomphe patent calfskin boots, Celine
Glossy lambskin blouson and matching Trapeze mini skirt; wool tank top; Les Perles gold‐finish brass necklace with resin pearls; Teen Garance patent calfskin top‐handle bag; and Lily Perforated Triomphe Babies patent calfskin Mary Janes, Celine
More 1960s‐era influences come in the form of hyper‐short A‐line silhouettes, high‐gloss finishes and chunky heeled Mary Jane shoes. What else deftly combines the decade’s swingy, feminine style with a jolt of modernity: the trim and boxy Teen Garance bag, which comes with a shortened shoulder strap so that it sits right at the waist for easier access and can also be carried sophisticatedly in hand.
Babydoll glossy lambskin coat and Lily Perforated Triomphe Babies patent calfskin Mary Janes, Celine
Lambskin jacket and matching mini skirt; wool jersey turtleneck top; Terence patent calfskin shoulder bag; and Les Bottes Celine Triomphe patent calfskin boots, Celine
Another new pochette‐style It bag comes in the form of the compact Terence. Its base, sides and adjustable shoulder strap are crafted from a single piece of leather for a cleaner, sleeker look – a testament to the maison’s commitment to craftsmanship.
PRODUCTION NOELLE LOH PHOTOGRAPHY STEFAN KHOO STYLING DAMIAN HUANG PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT ALIF STYLING ASSISTANTS DANESSA TONG & JOSEPHINE ANG HAIR SEAN ANG MAKEUP KEITH BRYANT LEE MODEL SUZUNE ODA/TOMORROW TOKYO CASTING MIRAE CREATIVE LOCATION SINGAPORE CONFERENCE HALL
This article first appeared in the September 2024 Nostalgia Edition of FEMALE