He’s set to expand the brand to include menswear, too.
When longtime Céline designer Phoebe Philo quit the house last year, speculation was rife as to who would succeed her. After such a strong tenure, it was hard to say who might be able to pick up where she left off.
As of Sunday afternoon, though, we know. Hedi Slimane, ex-Yves Saint Laurent and Dior Homme, is the man for the job.
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LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton made the announcement on their website, saying Slimane would head up all Céline collections, including couture, fragrance, and menswear. Women’s Wear Daily reports that the first Céline menswear stores may open as early as 2019.
Slimane, who is half-Tunisian, resigned from Yves Saint Laurent in 2016 after four years. He spent most of the 2000s at Dior Homme, where he changed the face of menswear. Fellow designer Karl Lagerfeld lost a substantial amount of weight for the express purpose of fitting into Slimane’s slim cuts for the house.
Bernard Arnault, LVMH’s chairman and CEO, said he was “particularly happy” to have Slimane back in the company.
“He is one of the most talented designers of our time. I have been a great admirer of his work since we collaborated on Dior Homme,” Arnault said.
“His arrival at Céline reinforces the great ambitions that LVMH has for this Maison… He will leverage his global vision and unique aesthetic virtuosity in further building an iconic French Maison.”
For his part, Slimane said he was greatly looking forward to taking up the post.
“I am delighted to join Bernard Arnault in this all-embracing and fascinating mission for Céline,” the designer said.
We can’t wait to see what he does.
Images: LVMH
