Written by Tanisha Cardozo
Paris, July 2025 – All eyes were on Celine this Sunday as the French luxury fashion house unveiled the debut collection of newly appointed creative director Michael Rider, who took the reins following Hedi Slimane’s departure last October. Hosted at Celine’s intimate atelier near the Tuileries Garden, the runway show redefined expectations—and set a bold new tone for the storied brand.
The show was attended by A-listers including Naomi Watts and Kim Taehyung (V of BTS), whose appearance marked one of his first public outings since completing military service. But the real star of the evening was Rider’s daring take on the Celine legacy.
Having worked under Phoebe Philo during her reign at Celine, Rider was expected by many to usher in a return to her minimalist, intellectual style. Instead, he flipped expectations on their head with tight skinny jeans, super-slim trousers, and sharp silhouettes—signatures more aligned with Hedi Slimane, the man who doubled Celine’s revenue to €2.5 billion before stepping down.
But this wasn’t just Slimane redux. Rider layered in his own eclectic touches: bright V-neck sweaters, Oxford shirts, and striped school ties, all styled with a confident, almost collegiate ease. Eveningwear was sharp and restrained—black, tailored, and clean.
If one thing made a definitive statement, it was the accessories. From chunky bangles and oversized chain necklaces to stacked rings and quirky keyrings shaped like dice and Eiffel Towers, Rider proved he’s not afraid of fun.
“I would never want to be perceived as cynical,” Rider told reporters after the show. “Having a sense of humour in the luxury space is a beautiful thing.”
Celine’s legacy bags also got the Rider remix: massive woven totes, sleek logo pouches, and subtle plays on the Celine logo—something Rider seems especially fascinated by.
“Logos are fascinating to me,” he said. “They can move from something really tasteful to something quite the opposite. They carry energy. They can mean many things.”
While Rider has clearly borrowed some of Slimane’s commercial instincts, he has done so with a wink. This wasn’t a return to old Celine, nor was it a full continuation of Slimane’s slick edge. Instead, Rider introduced something fresh: structured rebellion with an underlying sense of play.
Fashion critics are already calling it a clever fusion of refinement and irreverence, setting up Rider as a creative force to watch not just at Celine, but in luxury fashion at large.
