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Hedi Slimane, the equal parts lauded and controversial designer formerly of Dior Homme and Saint Laurent, has been announced as the successor to Phoebe Philo at French fashion house Céline.
According to a statement released this morning by LVMH, Slimane’s stewardship of the label Philo resurrected to acclaim will take effect next month, with the brand’s offering now extending to include menswear, haute couture and fragrance.
Slimane is perhaps best known for his founding tenure at Dior Homme, which he created in 2000 and where he popularised a razor thin silhouette made all the more remarkable for its lasting effect on fashion.
Bernard Arnault, the chairman and chief executive of LVMH, said in a statement, “I am particularly happy that Hedi is back within the LVMH Group and taking the reins of our Céline Maison. 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, which he launched to global critical acclaim in the 2000s. His arrival at Céline reinforces the great ambitions that LVMH has for this Maison. Hedi will oversee and develop all creativity for both women’s and men’s fashion, but also for leather goods, accessories and fragrances. He will leverage his global vision and unique aesthetic virtuosity in further building an iconic French Maison.”
Slimane, 49, began his career at Yves Saint Laurent, the label he returned to in 2012 in a new capacity as creative and image director. His time at the house, which he left amid controversy in December 2016, has singe largely been defined by his phenomenal commercial success and the critical ire he often invoked, with Slimane’s artistic direction for the house hewing unfailingly close to a vision of the youth and music scenes of his adopted city, Los Angeles. A noted photographer, Slimane relocated the brand’s design studio to LA and, in much the same way that Philo had her Céline design studio relocated to London from Paris, Slimane’s Céline studio will now be based in LA with a prototype studio and an atelier reportedly remaining in Paris.
In a statement, Slimane said, “I am delighted to join Bernard Arnault in this all-embracing and fascinating mission for Céline. I greatly look forward to returning to the exciting world of fashion and the dynamism of the ateliers.”
Slimane’s first show for Céline will take place in September at Paris Fashion Week.
Tile image: Courtesy of LVMH
Cover image: Courtesy of Saint Laurent
