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by Shreya S
So I’m gonna try no to rant and bitch, bear with me!
Hedi Slimane, well he definitely keeps the fashion industry divided. With people who admire his work and people who detest it, a conversation about Slimane is always going on somewhere. Let me say this first that I think Slimane’s vision and aesthetic for his work is intriguing. I think he executes it seamlessly, the message and the representation of his concept is done excellently and I also think sometimes that’s the problem.
Let’s start with Dior, back in the early 2000s when Slimane presented his new concept for men across the globe it was a huge success, and rightfully so. I absolutely adore work for Dior Homme. He created something unexpected very skinny, very rock and roll chic, and very young. Even Karl Lagerfeld admittedly lost around 45 kg to fit into Dior Homme. I mean isn’t that the stamp of approval one needs. His contribution to menswear was truly revolutionary.
His rebranding efforts and work at Saint Laurent were interesting, A similar concept to Dior but it worked. His Saint Laurent tenure also was acceptable as his vision albeit not exactly the perfect approach to the brand ended up as a good fit in almost every way possible. The thing is when you make skinny jeans, blazers, and sheer slip dresses that might be a bit easier to sell than extravagant/unique/creative designs. Basics sell better, I’m sure even H&M will agree. Apart from the overall aesthetic and image YSL oops ‘Saint Laurent’ seemed basic.
Now let’s talk about Céline, I will admit I am a devotee of Old Céline. Phoebe Philo’s work for Celine was so beautiful and loved by women all over; it was true to women. But obviously, Slimane did the same thing again, another androgynous skinny and rock chic collection and no hint of his predecessor. His work isolated from the whole Celine is bearable, but it was painful to see the brand go from Philo to Slimane. With Celine, he was pulling the brand away from something that people loved. The values, ideas, and motives behind Philo’s work were non-existent. Celine was stripped off from its femininity, elegance, and beauty.
Each brand has a code that its customers expect; an aesthetic, a vision, a concept. Each brand has a history and a set of people who have contributed to that over many many years. As a designer it is also important to respect and understand the brand and what people love it for. Changing that completely for any product, aesthetic, or branding strategy just not acceptable.
But it is often said that Celine doesn’t have a particular aesthetic and every designer who takes over creates their own interpretation of the brand which is true for sure and no designer should be required or expected to continue the same vision if that’s the case. With a brand like that does have such liberty, the perception will always be divided. To simplify you cannot go to Chanel and start making sportswear or go to Balenciaga and make Valli-like gowns.
But the issue here isn’t only that the overdone energy is being imposed on Celine but simply because it is overdone and monotonous. He ends up doing the same thing for different fashion houses, it reflects his mild shortcomings as a designer. He is brilliant at what he does and his idea of fashion but it seems like he is kind of imposing that on every brand. Companies want him because his work generates revenue and as a business that makes sense. It’s pretty clear that he is a person who is limited to inspirations from the past and more importantly himself.
He is consistent and certain of his vision which is commendable. If you look at his work you would know it’s Slimane immediately. That is an extremely impressive quality by a designer and I admire the people who have spent their whole career perfecting singular vision. He has done that too and if it was by Hedi Slimane label I would be the first standing outside his store.
What are your thoughts on Celine, do share in the comments and find us on social media below.
Cover Picture Vogue
We do not own the rights to any of these images and they have been used in good faith. Every effort has been made to ensure that all images are used with proper credits. If you are the rightful owner of any image used on our site and wish to have it removed, please contact us at ayerhsmagazine@gmail.com and we will promptly remove it. We are a non-commercial, passion-driven, independent fashion blog and do not intend to infringe any copyright. Thank you for your understanding.
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