Hedi Slimane is stepping down as the creative director of Celine after almost seven years in the position. Following months of rumors around his impending departure, the news was officially confirmed on Wednesday by the French House.
“Under his creative and artistic direction, Celine has experienced exceptional growth and established itself as an iconic French couture house,” the House said of Slimane in a statement. “The extraordinary journey taken together over the last seven years has made Celine a House with a formidable foundation for the future.” That “formidable” future will be led by the former creative director of Polo Ralph Lauren, Michael Rider, who was announced as Slimane’s replacement just hours after the departure news broke.
Slimane originally took over the post following Phoebe Philo’s departure from the brand back in 2018. During his tenure at Celine, Slimane made some big changes and ruffled some feathers at the start. Most notably, he almost immediately removed the accent mark from the brand’s name and logo. Less controversially, he also launched menswear, perfume, and recently beauty, while simultaneously returning to an emphasis on the house’s leather goods. The skinny-silhouetted, rocker look Slimane championed during his time at both Dior Homme (where he originally made his name as creative director from 2000 to 2007) and Saint Laurent (he was creative director from 2012 to 2016) also slotted very well to his vision at Celine as he continued updating his trademark indie sleaze aesthetic.
Kaia Gerber and Slimane at the Celine fall/winter 2023 show.
Robert Smith/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images
Despite initial speculation from the fashion set, Slimane proved to be extremely lucrative for both Celine and its parent company, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. According to the LVMH’s annual report for 2023, Celine had a record year last year, fueled by Slimane. That included the success of leather goods, the steady rise in ready-to-wear and other accessories. Business of Fashion reported that Celine’s revenue reached €2 billion in 2023, and was likely even closer to €2.5 billion, making it LVMH’s third largest brand behind Louis Vuitton and Dior (surpassing Fendi).
It seems, though, that it was a failure in the boardroom that led to Slimane’s departure. His contract ended in early 2024, and negotiations did not result in a new agreement. BoF reports Slimane demanded a “historically high salary” as well as “royalties on all manner of creative output.” He also reportedly wanted complete creative control, of everything from the collections, shows, stores, and even clients. He’s been followed by rumors about a tendency to shut down projects at the last minute and a tendency to retreat to a home in St. Tropez.
Of course, the question now is two-fold: Where will Slimane go next and who will take over at Celine? The latter has already been answered, as Celine was very quick to announce Michael Rider as its new creative director. Rider stepped down from his role at Polo back in May and reportedly relocated to Paris, fueling rumors that he was preparing to step into the Celine spot upon Hedi’s departure. Before Polo, he worked as the design director at Celine for a decade under Philo, so this new job is a bit of a homecoming for the designer.
Lagerfeld and Slimane at the Dior Homme fall/winter 2005/2006 show.
Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/French Select/Getty Images
As for Slimane’s next step, his departure from Celine has reinvigorated the long-running rumors that he’s in line for the top spot at Chanel. Those have been circulating on and off for close to a decade now, as Karl Lagerfeld was a known admirer of Slimane’s work (he even lost weight to fit into the latter’s slim-fitting designs). Many also like the idea of the designer bringing his menswear expertise to the French house which still doesn’t offer the category. Now that the position at Chanel is open and Slimane is without work, everything seems to be falling into place. That being said, Slimane may also take a break, just as he did between his jobs at Dior and Saint Laurent, and again between Saint Laurent and Celine. It’s possible, then, that we won’t hear from Slimane for a while as he explores his other interests, like photography.