Celine Homme F/W 2024 by Hedi Slimane

While Chanel has just published impressive numbers with increased sales of the fashion division but also increased criticism of the creativity of that division and rumors that Celine’s Hedi Slimane is stalling his contract negotiations with LVMH so he can move over to the other double C house, Celine has released a new men’s collection for Fall/Winter. A mere five months later than his peers but so strong and crystal clear that it seems that Hedi Slimane is well on his way to make out of Celine the hottest and most prestigious fashion brand in the world with a customer which is a good 20 years younger than his competitors. So why would he go anywhere as he just introduced make up and fragrance and… men’s? The house is on fire and after his strong women’s collection at the end of the women’s season with its graphic and short 60’s silhouette he is back at a strictly sartorial approach here. Set in the Mojave Desert in California, the video starts with a brigade of black Celine helicopters carrying a juke box entering the picture. The clou? The model chooses Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz from 1830 and recorded by Leonard Bernstein in New York in 1963 instead of some indie rock tune. Slimane checks all the pop cultural boxes as even Bernstein is back on the cultural radar after the movie. It’s so immaculate and strong visually that Slimane also gave himself the director’s credit, so we don’t forget that he is the only designer who is just as strong at image creation. While this was a flaw of Karl Lagerfeld whose photography was never considered great, Slimane is this generation’s standout designer because he is as good at making clothes as he is in making imagery. Here are some highlights of the mostly black and white super slim tailoring anchored by giant preacher hats.

Supersized preacher hats