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Hedi Slimane‘s name may be ubiquitous with easy Parisian glamour, but the Celine designer is as much informed by his adopted (second) home in California as he is by the glittering French capital. Never was that duality more obvious than in last night’s Fall Winter ’23 unveiling at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, a collection that tapped into the renaissance of the 2000s, a period Slimane himself defined as one of the key orchestrators of the so-called “indie sleaze” aesthetic.
Aptly titled “Age of Indiness” the collection included tropes from the mid-to-late 00s including skinny-leg jeans (yes, they’re back), shrunken waistcoats, oversized handbags, and thin neck scarves. To hammer home the theme Slimane invited rock ‘n’ roll royalty like Kim Gordon, Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, and Priscilla Presley to sit front row alongside Hollywood heavyweights like Courtney Cox, Paris Hilton, Austin Butler, Brie Larson, and Emma Roberts. The White Stripes performed an original soundtrack written by Jack White, and the runway was followed by an after party with performances from Iggy Pop, The Strokes, Interpol, and a DJ set by The Kills.
Slimane has always been a master of elevated daywear, and this collection’s standout pieces included perfectly tailored leather trousers, form-fitting structured blazers, and effortless ruffled silk blouses. On the eveningwear front, Slimane tapped into his penchant for embellishment, including remarkable sequin and crystal cropped jackets, fringed mini dresses, and artfully draped sheer gowns. The accessories—a stronghold for Slimane since he began at Celine—included large top handle totes with the brand’s double-C ‘Triomphe’ monogram (think the Olsen twins in ’07), and slouchy brown leather boots that fall just below the knee.
Slimane has been defining the way a certain type of person—the kind who finds themselves caught between the dual pulls of European chicness and American cool—wants to dress for more than two decades now. And in a moment where ‘noughties throwback’ means rhinestones, Ugg boots, and butterfly clips, his vision for the Y2K revival is a compelling alternative that is destined to strike a cultural nerve. Indie sleaze never looked so good.
Image: Courtesy of Celine
