Newly installed Celine designer Ivana Omazic had the sun in the morning and the moon at night. In between those corny celestial renderings that opened and closed her show, she had a whole lot of merch packed into 47 exits, and piece by piece, some of it looked quite good. A seemingly endless parade of looks with names like "Venus Picnic dress," "Luna Safari combi-short" and "Sun Parade skirt," not to mention five swimsuits, came all decked out with floppy hats, sunglasses, big necklaces, bigger bags and inexplicably, a few pairs of knee socks. Among the show's strengths, much of the sportswear had a snappy attitude, and a pleat-front voile shirtdress brought a distinctive softness to the season's shirt trend. But such is not enough to carry a collection.
Like its sister company Givenchy, Celine is a house in search of a raison d'etre. And like her colleague Ricardo Tisci, Omazic must contend with the reality of an audience brand-bored by past failed reinventions. Her fault — no; her challenge — absolutely. And one almost impossible to address in a single season, especially for someone at the design helm for the first time after years of assisting others. But Celine's clock is ticking, with only so much patience in the communal fashion consciousness.