Hedi Slimane - Designer

[Frederic01]

Celine YouTube

 

[caioherrero]

Where is Celine Haute Couture as promised?

 

[Kimihiro]

Where is Celine Haute Couture as promised?

From what I understood the whole “expanding to couture” thing was Hedi making few “couture” pieces within RTW collections similar to what he had at YSL. He considers his last YSL collection as “couture”.

 

[SpeedRacer666]

Celine YouTube

So late into the seasonal calendar; meanwhile the new mens collection is already being sold (with 0 campaign lead up), I wonder what's going on behind the scenes.

 

[Kimihiro]

So late into the seasonal calendar; meanwhile the new mens collection is already being sold (with 0 campaign lead up), I wonder what's going on behind the scenes.

Hedi’s right hand man deleted everything too. Idk they might just be playing hard ball. Weird time to mess things up since sales are picking up.

 

[SpeedRacer666]

Hedi’s right hand man deleted everything too. Idk they might just be playing hard ball. Weird time to mess things up since sales are picking up.

Oh wow, just noticed, he also removed his role at the brand from his bio

 

[Frederic01]

So late into the seasonal calendar; meanwhile the new mens collection is already being sold (with 0 campaign lead up), I wonder what's going on behind the scenes.

I believe this is the campaign, but it has only been released in Japan thus far? It's the only market where the menswear really sells, so it would make sense.


Peterrabbit8277 Instagram

 

[Frederic01]

Where is Celine Haute Couture as promised?

There will be Celine by Hedi Slimane Haute Couture, but it will only be possible when Slimane/Celine reaches that 2-3 billion euro target that Arnault set a few years back. At the moment, the brand cannot financially sustain Haute Couture operations. They are trying to establish and sell the fragrances for now with the hopes of billions of dollars of revenue to come from that.

Though it must be said, the main obstacles to financial growth for Celine is Hedi himself and his total control freak attitude. He wants to control every single detail, but sometimes you have to let go of that if you want to make the real money. Look at Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and/or Fendi. He did the designs and shot the advertising campaigns, but he wasn't involved in changing store designs, changing packaging, perfumes, high jewellery etc etc. He left all that to the professionals. It's the same with Virginie Viard. She focuses on the clothes and a little bit of the advertising, but for the most part she also leaves that to the experts. Ditto Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior: she is not involved with store designs or packaging or windows or anything like that.

I am very curious to know how close Celine is to achieving those targets, as it is all so hidden in the quarterly financial reports that LVMH does. All they say is "Strong demand in RTW and for leather goods", but nothing indicating actual growth?

 

[LostInNJ]

I believe this is the campaign, but it has only been released in Japan thus far? It's the only market where the menswear really sells, so it would make sense.


Peterrabbit8277 Instagram

It is all over Paris as well, this campaign. For a couple weeks now.

Though it must be said, the main obstacles to financial growth for Celine is Hedi himself and his total control freak attitude. He wants to control every single detail, but sometimes you have to let go of that if you want to make the real money. Look at Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and/or Fendi. He did the designs and shot the advertising campaigns, but he wasn't involved in changing store designs, changing packaging, perfumes, high jewellery etc etc. He left all that to the professionals. It's the same with Virginie Viard. She focuses on the clothes and a little bit of the advertising, but for the most part she also leaves that to the experts. Ditto Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior: she is not involved with store designs or packaging or windows or anything like that.

Based on a lot of comments on TFS, one could argue his strength is changing store designs, packaging, perfumes etc...

Personally, I like the unified vision. It's clear, albeit repetitive, but it makes sense and makes the visual aspects of the brand identifiable.

 

[Cute]

 

[Fulton St Critique]

I often ponder the decision of the Hedi’s choice to join Celine. If the house wanted such growth, why hire such a focused, rounded creative to do so? Slimane is clearly not the designer for this job, I believe it to be a task that is to ambitious and aggressive for one who has never sold out.

The criticism dealt to this man over and over is such a bore. It is the same points, “He is a one trick pony of sorts, his vision is dated, black and white photography is boring, all he does is slim tailoring, rock ‘n roll is no longer interesting” etc. etc. etc. Though when he enters a new direction- his past few menswear campaigns- we hear “He is obsessed with younger generations, how strange”. His career to many is the definition of a catch 22, to hate just to hate is fine, but to act as if somehow he is losing touch is an ignorant mindset that makes you look foolish.

How far away must be the creator then, from his or her label to satisfy those who deem him to be too involved? We may as well put him in a box at this point. “Here, Hedi, just stick to designing clothes, but be careful, your skinny tailoring is annoying those who have seen it before, it is not like there are new customers just discovering your work or anything.” We get it, he has a default style that he builds on, this is not news to anyone. Why continue to reflect upon such a known fact?

He is a visionary and has always remained true to himself. Controversial as he may be, we must respect such dedication not only to an aesthetic, but to a certain luxury that escapes fashion at this very moment. If he is not for you, fine, so be it, but to constantly act as if his direction for fashion is such a disservice is outrageous given the many, many labels floating through the present without a single thought of taste and or beauty.

 

[MulletProof]

call me cynical but since when are fashion shows postponed due to someone's sudden death.. more than mourning, it sounds like their efforts to create momentum and gather all the attention from the media have been overshadowed..

 

[susseinmcswanny]

That is weird because I thought Celine was kinda going for the "iykyk" approach with the client-only lookbooks and whatever etc. How does Virgil's death have anything to do with you like just post the video lol

 

[Benn98]

That is weird because I thought Celine was kinda going for the "iykyk" approach with the client-only lookbooks and whatever etc. How does Virgil's death have anything to do with you like just post the video lol

Tells you how starved Celine must be for attention, that they cannot risk anything infringing on the very few eyeballs they have. The last trending Celine collection was that Tik Tok one.
I'm sure deep down they regret hiring Hedi because from where I stand his Celine is not creatively or even culturally relevant. Hasn't been for a while. The clothes only get traction thanks to paid advertising. Even getting Germanotta to parade those hideous bags didn't turn them into it pieces. He lost whatever 'magic touch' he had. But he'll never own it because everyone around him including the system enables that behaviour. He'll keep running on auopilot until there's a fallout, go on a meltdown, and look for another house. Rinse repeat.

 

[Frederic01]

The show is back on, streaming December 3rd 2PM Paris time.


Celine Instagram

 

[vogue28]

Hedi Slimane and Vogue aren’t the best of friends following Emmanuelle Alt’s departure from Vogue Paris:

 

[Norden]

Im all here for this pettiness. I’ve been deprived of fashion drama.

 

[reese06]

well there was nothing to see so there's that.

 

[SpeedRacer666]

is Celine missing fashion week again?

 

[Overindulgence]

From LVMH's 2022 Q1 press release: "Celine achieved very strong growth thanks to the remarkable success of its ready-to-wear and leather goods lines designed by Hedi Slimane." The presentation of the 2022 Q1 report noted the growth at Celine is due to "Success of leather goods line Triomphe; RTW recorded strong growth". I was not able to find more specific statistics though.