Hedi Slimane is leaving Celine after nearly seven years as Artistic director. The renowned designer, known for his transformative vision, will be succeeded by Michael Rider, a familiar face returning to the French luxury house.
During his tenure, Slimane left an indelible mark on Celine, leading the brand to unprecedented success. Under his creative leadership, Celine experienced remarkable growth, with brand sales nearly tripling and surpassing the €2 billion milestone in 2023. Slimane’s holistic approach to design and branding reshaped Celine’s identity, reaffirming its Parisian roots while expanding into new areas such as menswear, fragrance and make-up.
One of Slimane’s most notable decisions was the controversial rebranding of Celine, which included dropping the accent on the “e” to more closely resemble the house’s original 1960s design. The move, reminiscent of his earlier rebranding of Yves Saint Laurent to Saint Laurent in 2012, signaled a new creative direction deeply rooted in French heritage.
Celine thanked Slimane for his contribution to its legacy. ”The holistic vision of Hedi Slimane, his exigence and rigour have made it possible to redefine the codes of Celine whilst reaffirming its feminine and Parisian roots. The extraordinary journey taken together over the last seven years has made Celine a house with a formidable foundation for the future,” the house said in a statement.
As Slimane bids farewell, Celine welcomes Michael Rider as its new Artistic director. Rider’s appointment is a homecoming of sorts, as he previously spent a decade (2008-2018) at Céline as design director under the leadership of Phoebe Philo. His intimate knowledge of the brand and strong connection to its heritage made him a “natural choice” for the role, according to Celine’s CEO.
Rider’s background is impressive, having started his career at Balenciaga alongside Nicolas Ghesquière before joining Celine. Most recently, he was Creative director of Polo Ralph Lauren.
Rider’s debut collection for Celine is planned for Fall/Winter 2025 and will be presented next February. As Rider steps into his new role, he expressed his honor to return to ”shape the future of the maison together with the Celine team,” emphasizing the brand’s beautiful heritage.
Slimane’s final collection for Celine, titled ”Un Été Francais,” was a surprise digital show during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025 and paid homage to the French it-girls of the 1960s, like Françoise Hardy, Jane Birkin and Juliette Gréco.
Slimane’s departure comes amid rumors that the star designer could be in the running for the Creative director position at Chanel, which has been without a designer since Virginie Viard‘s departure in June.
