After a hiatus from physical shows during the pandemic, Celine made a glorious return to the runway in December 2022 with a show befitting of Hollywood’s gritty glamour.
The show, which was hosted at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, has been turned into a short film in a celebration of Celine’s 23 collection.
The film features an original soundtrack, produced by Jack White and performed by The White Stripes, titled ‘Hello Operator’ and gives you a chance to see the landmark show for yourself. Being released at the same time as Celine’s 23 collection also means that you can get inspired before you hit the store.
Entitled the “Age of Indieness”, the December show was a renaissance of Creative Director Hedi Slimane’s 2000s grunge era. Military silhouettes and second-skin leather pants, flouncy blouses with metallic outerwear and shrunken vests over floral mini dresses traversed down the runway next to a plethora of floor-length sequin gowns and faux fur outerwear. Accessories were the ultimate nostalgia kick with slouchy oversized tote bags, skinny scarves, waist belts and sunglasses that mask half the face all playing their part.
Gifting us with an early showing of the brand’s Winter ‘23 collection—months before the usual February events—guests were treated to a spectacle of Indie nostalgia both in Slimane’s aesthetic codes and the musical performances.
Original soundtracks performed by Indie iconoclasts The White Stripes played the ultimate throwback, while performances by Iggy Pop, The Strokes, Interpol and The Kills sustained the era’s presence. Old-school merch was in abundance with matchbooks, guitar picks, peppermints, iron-on patches, pin-on buttons and posters emblazened “Celine at the Wiltern” on display.
Front row guests of the French fashion house included a mix of Hollywood veterans and budding icons such as Courtney Cox, Paris Hilton, Priscilla Presley, Cindy Crawford, Emma Roberts, Paris Jackson and Austin Butler.
On the runway, familiar faces Kaia Gerber and Dree Hemingway embodied morning-after glamour with tousled hair and lived-in smoky eyes—a look created by makeup artist Aaron de Mey.
With over thirty years in the industry, including stints as creative director of Dior Homme, Saint Laurent and, at present, Celine, Slimane has quietly cemented his work as one that is true to his unique vision. And though the fashion world was awash with scrutiny over his 2018 appointment as Celine’s creative lead— succeeding fan-favourite Phoebe Philo—sales for the already-coveted brand have reportedly doubled since his rewrite.
Not one to avoid a little buzz, Slimane made waves in the past with a choice to take Saint Laurent’s design atelier to L.A. during his time as creative director, a town so often overlooked in fashion. Now, years later, he’s back with a renewed appreciation for the City of Angels and the aesthetics of our past.
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