Hedi Slimane, legendary fashion designer and former creative director of both Dior Homme and Yves Saint Laurent is a big name in the business. Renowned for his work at the helm of Yves Saint Laurent, which became Saint Laurent under his control, Slimane is arguably adept at revamping age old brands for a fashion hungry new generation.
Slimane’s aesthetic is easy to identify; straight lines, liberal use of the colour black, as well as his signature rocker infused style. His edgy approach to design revised the tenets of Yves Saint Laurent himself, who instituted menswear for women, famously creating the empowering Le Smoking suit in 1966. It is safe to say that Slimane turned Saint Laurent on its head and made a real mark on the label, the after effects of which are still circulating within the fashion arena to this day.
So, what is Slimane likely to bring to Parisian fashion house Céline? For those of you unfamiliar with the work of English born creative director of Céline, Phoebe Philo, she came to Céline in 2009 with her minimalistic attitude to fashion design. Philo created simplistic, feminine looks that regularly incorporated a range sophisticated pastel colours with bold, baggy silhouettes. Philo’s pieces have consistently been on the wish list of fashionistas around the world season after season, really carving out a niche market for the brand.
Both designers are eclectic in their respective approaches to style and design, which should make Slimane’s first collection for Céline extremely interesting – we can’t wait to see what he does!
