Paris
NCS
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It was eerily nonetheless in Paris on Sunday, because the streets got here to a standstill for “Paris Respire”, a car-free scheme the place sure districts within the metropolis are closed to motorized visitors for the day. Yet, the Tuileries Gardens was buzzing with a classy crowd, lots of whom wore the identical white scarf tied round their neck, wrist, or bag.
Far from it being a coincidence, the headband was a part of the invitation that luxurious label Celine had despatched to company invited to see its Spring 2026 assortment. Staged on the model’s Right Bank headquarters, a day earlier than Paris Haute Couture Week, the show was notable: Not solely was it Celine’s first in years (the final bodily show came about in February 2023, beneath its former designer Hedi Slimane, who most well-liked to his current his collections by way of brief movies), it additionally provided a primary take a look at the extremely anticipated debut designs beneath new creative director Michael Rider.
Since being appointed at Celine in October final yr, taking over the position in early 2025 after six years at Polo Ralph Lauren, Rider has laid low. While French luxurious home Dior sought to drum up curiosity for its new designer Jonathan Anderson by teasing elements of the new collection on social media, Celine has stored every thing beneath wraps, with the silk scarf invite — which additionally options within the model’s ads plastered throughout Paris — being the one indicator for what to anticipate.
A bevy of high-profile stars sat beneath a large carré de soie (silk pocket sq.) stretched like a cover within the courtyard. These included Naomi Watts, Kristen Wiig, and Kim Taehyung, higher often known as V, from Okay-pop band BTS, who arrived on a bicycle. Singer Alanis Morisette advised NCS forward of the show that she had “so much anticipation to see what Michael Rider has done.” Other fashion designers together with Jonathan Anderson and Raf Simons, previously of Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein, additionally turned out to show their assist.
The show, which came about within the rain (attendees got Celine-branded umbrellas), comprised each males and womenswear. There have been nods to the model’s previous, whether or not it was the references to the Nineteen Seventies archives, the clear strains paying homage to former designer Phoebe Philo (who amassed a cult following often known as “Philophiles” throughout her tenure), or the lean silhouettes favored by Slimane. Also current have been culottes paired with flat Mary Janes and a full flash of the Eighties: balloon-leg washed denim trousers, high-waisted pants tucked into boxing boots, and a tweed jacket with broad shoulders. Horsebit detailing adorned slim ankle boots.
But Rider additionally wove in references to his personal previous — an argyle jumper may have come straight out of a Ralph Lauren assortment, whereas flounced hems on a knit cardigan recalled Balenciaga’s cocoon shapes throughout Rider’s time working beneath designer Nicolas Ghesquière within the early noughties. There have been private playful touches, too: see the opulent stacked jewellery, rings on each finger.
In all, there was a preppy American really feel intertwined with French sophistication within the seems. Law Roach, stylist to the celebrities together with Zendaya, appeared to have an inkling for what was coming. “I want to see this American flair in this Parisian house… I’m so excited to see the newness,” he advised NCS forward of the show, nodding to the lengthy historical past of American designers in Paris, together with Michael Kors who designed Celine from 1997 to 2004.
Rider is moving into large sneakers: His predecessor turned Celine right into a business heavyweight, bringing in an estimated €2.5 billion ($2.76 billion) annually, with the growth of menswear, leather-based items, and perfume — areas that Rider will proceed to supervise. But along with his deep familiarity with the Celine maison, he appears intent on ushering in a chapter that’s much less about spectacle and more about nuance — an method that tends to age effectively in fashion.
