Celine announced Michael Rider as the brand's new artistic director

Celine has announced that Michael Rider will be taking over as the brand's new artistic director. Rider, who was previously the creative director at Polo Ralph Lauren, will be succeeding Hedi Slimane, who has been at the helm of Celine for nearly seven years.

Rider's appointment is a homecoming of sorts, as he spent a decade at Celine as a design director of ready-to-wear, working under Phoebe Philo from 2008 to 2018. During his time at Celine, Rider developed a deep understanding of the brand's heritage and aesthetic, which he will undoubtedly draw upon in his new role.

Michael Rider is an American designer who has worked at some of the most prestigious fashion houses in the world. Prior to his appointment at Celine, he was the creative director at Polo Ralph Lauren, where he worked to raise the brand's cool factor amidst a preppy renaissance led by other labels. Rider has also worked at Balenciaga during the Nicolas Ghesquière era and has a deep understanding of the fashion industry.

As artistic director, Rider will be responsible for overseeing all of Celine's collections, including womenswear, menswear, leather goods, and accessories. He will also be tasked with building on the brand's success, which has grown significantly under Slimane's direction.

Slimane's departure from Celine marks the end of an era for the brand, which he transformed into a $2 billion-dollar-plus megabrand during his tenure. Under his creative direction, Celine experienced exceptional growth and established itself as an iconic French couture house.

Rider's mandate is to build on Slimane's trajectory, rather than yank the house in a brand new aesthetic direction. It is expected that he will reinstitute runway shows and re-establish ties to the fashion media establishment, which Slimane was consistently at odds with.

 

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