We’ve waited patiently for Hedi Slimane’s Celine debut, abated by paparazzi shots of Lady Gaga with the new it bag, an Instagram tease of the first leather menswear look, and a tantalizing interview with the designer, all ahead of one of the most highly anticipated fashion events of the year. “We arrive then with our own stories, our own culture, a personal semantic that is different from the ones of houses in which we create,” Slimane told Le Figaro earlier this week of Phoebe Philo’s legacy, and his own vision for the beloved fashion house. “We have to be ourselves, without any stance, against all odds.”
Well the day hath finally arrived. The designer sent his first Celine collection, Paris La Nuit, down a shimmering runway at Hotel des Invalides. So, we ask, was Celine without the accent worth the wait? That all depends on whether you ask the Philophiles or the Slimanestans. One thing they’d both agree on is that Slimane, as promised, was incontrovertibly himself. We’ve rounded up all the best posts from Instagram and Twitter, so you can live vicariously through Lady Gaga front row.
The invite was an actual art book, containing over a half-dozen removable double-sided posters.
It all went down at the Hôtel des Invalides, where Slimane also presented Saint Laurent fall/winter 14.
Bottles were popped. Mini-bottles of Moet, to be exact.
The stage left us hypnotized.
Obviously, Lady Gaga was front row beside Karl Lagerfeld.
CL was also there.
In fact the whole show was packed with musicians — other guests included Jamie Hince, Lou Doillon, Mark Ronson, and i-D fave King Princess, who sadly did not wear this incredible neck accessory:
The soundtrack was by French psych-punks La Femme, a.k.a. Marlon Magnée and Sacha Got — aided by model, Hedi muse, and music mixer Grace Hartzel. It was exceptionnel!
Polka dots and mega 80s silhouettes opened the show.
Not shockingly, Hedi’s Celine menswear debut was heavy on skinny cuts, shrunken jackets, and Gen Z rock ‘n’ roll energy:
There was A LOT of leather.
Random pops of color excited Twitter.
And there were occasional sequins, for when you have a glam-punk gig at 9 and a glitzy PFW after-party at 11.
Plus, apparently bangs are back! And fascinators, which bounced between Parisian funeral-chic and New Romantics grunge.
Swiss-American artist Christian Marclay worked his magic into couture embroideries and prints.
A real live marching band, La Garde Républicaine, closed the show to much applause.