We all know that when Hedi Slimane starts a new project, it’s serious business. Yes, first and foremost Hedi Slimane is about business. Just like his close friends and idols Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld, Slimane does not make clothes for museums. He creates to be commercially successful. If his garments become the look of the decade and hence make it into exhibitions is secondary. He has proven that at Dior Homme and Saint Laurent and is challenged to do so at Celine now. Little observation: Most of the sunglasses we spotted on heads of cool editors these past few weeks had one logo: Celine. Always proof that a brand is gaining traction when it’s worn by the editorial crowd who sees things first and is ultra picky. What does this tell us? It has certainly not been by accident that nearly every men’s outfit which has been shown by Slimane on Celine runways featured a pair of sunglasses. First in his co-ed shows and now on his dedicated men’s catwalks. In last night’s collection, every single look was shown with a pair of sunglasses. Furthermore, it comes as no surprise that all the men’s campaign images, which have been published so far have shown men in shades. While this new collection highlighted mostly 70’s tailoring and looks, the 80’s song from Corey Hart “Sunglasses at Night“ very much came to mind. And there you have it, that’s why runway shows are so important to Slimane’s oeuvre. They telegraph his commercial intentions. Not to forget that his whole Celine project started with a focus on a handbag.

The roots?

Back from Los Angeles and spending more time in London again, Slimane anchors his man in Paris. Biggest proof is the iconic location of Place Vauban behind Les Invalides. Slimane simply built a Mies van der Rohe lookalike Berlin Nationalgalerie space there. For the show and the sales period.

The clothes?

His first look of a grey, three-piece suit worn with a skinny tie and tassel loafers set the mood. After this elegant opening, Slimane made the mood more casual combining most of his long-length and roomy jackets with denim.

The silhouette?

All the pants were high-waisted with cigarette legs and matched on the torso with boxy jackets and military inspired bombers and leather jackets in animal prints or simply black. All models wore their hands in their pockets for added attitude – a Slimane signature.

The surprise?

Most guys wore shirts without ties but unbuttoned showing the chest and creating a Serge Gainsbourg vibe. Often the collar of the shirt was worn over the lapel of the jacket. But to keep the loucheness in check, Slimane added wife beaters underneath which covered up, tempering the all-out French playboy mood.

The music?

Driven by a brilliant, repetitive soundtrack from Bodega, a New York art punk band, titled “Name Escape“, the show music – of course exclusively mastered for Celine – proved how much Slimane is in synch with new music movements and adjusts his fashion accordingly.

The secret?

Often editors call him out for being not creative, but Slimane has understood like nobody else that repetition is a virtue and not a weakness. You just have to be bold enough.