A European summer might be the holiday du jour, but Celine makes a case for a Saint-Tropez autumn, with Hedi Slimane unveiling his beach-rock Summer 23 collection at the French coastal town. Oh yes — and skinny jeans are back.
Slimane knows the picturesue holiday spot well; he’s lived there since leaving California in 2018 for warmer waters. Injecting the French Rivera with a little punk rock seems only fitting.
The collection itself is a reintroduction of silhouettes that Slimane himself debuted in the 2000s. After years of oversized everything, his collection — using men’s tailoring techniques — is once again leaning narrow, while he also reintroduced the shorterned jackets defined by sharp-edged collars that he first debuted two decades ago.
The Y2K resurgance continues with miniskirts in leather, denime and milutary gabardine worn low on the hip, while black leather jackets are newly proportioned in a narrower fit. Sailor caps provided that oh-so-French nautical element, as does the sailor shirt paired with a vest.
And there was ever a sign that fashion is circular, it’s this: the Saint-Tropez collection marks the return of the ‘original skinny jean’, which Slimane first launched in the 2000s and became synonymous with rock. In recent times, jeans for women have been anything but skinny: flared, oversized, Mom, you name it. But we all have a pair in the back of our closet… it might just be time to whip it out.
In fact, the relationship between Slimane’s Celine and rock ‘n roll was only further heighted by his reunion with The Libertine’s duo Carl Barât and Pete Doherty, whose iconic track ‘Music When The Lights Go Out‘ was used in the collection. Is it 2004 again already?
Slimane’s other treat for this collection was the relaunch of the Celine ‘Conti’ Bag; carried on the forearm, this relaunch is a new look following years of the Celine shoulder bag that became a street style staple the fashion world over.
Celine is set to make it its post-pandemic return to live shows with a ready-to-wear collection held in Los Angeles on December 8 — news we’ll certainly doff a sailor’s cap to.
Photos and video: Hedi Slimane for Celine.
