Hedi Slimane Drops The Accent From Celine
The entire Instagram has been wiped too
As soon as Hedi Slimane was announced as the replacement for Phoebe Philo at Celine, we knew there was going to be a shake up. Slimane is most famous for two things: His cultish reign as creative director at Dior Homme (“I lost 200 pounds to wear suits by Hedi Slimane,” said Karl Lagerfeld) and for his controversial tenure at Saint Laurent, where he infamously dropped the ‘Yves’ earning the ire of the internet and dozens of parody shirts.
Now, he’s starting his reign at Celine with a bang, wiping the brand’s entire Instagram account and ditching the famous ‘accent’. Slimane debuted the changed on Instagram overnight, posting three identical posts of a new, accent-less ‘CELINE’ poster, with a video of shimering gold lamé fabric and dramatic music.
In the caption, the brand explains Slimane’s rationale in changing the branding, writing: “The new logo has been directly inspired by the original, historical version that existed in the 1960’s. The accent on the ‘E’ has been removed to enable a simplified and more balanced proportion, evoking the Celine collections of the 1960s where the accent wasn’t used often.”
As with everything Hedi does, the reaction has proved divisive, with countless in-fighting between fashion obsessives in the comments section.
As for what we can expect from the collection itself? Slimane is set to debut Celine menswear and womenwear in Paris this September (as well as debuting a fragrance and couture collection in early 2019), but gave fans a sneak peek at the new aesthetic via Lady Gaga, who toted a Hedi Slimane for Celine handbag while out in Venice.
The oversized black tote features gold hardware and a subtle monogrammed tag—a notably simple design from a brand so renowned for its avant garde accessories.
Slimane’s predecessor, Phoebe Philo, has kept quiet since her departure in December of last year. Rumours she would move to Burberry were quashed when Riccardio Tisci was announced as creative director—leaving her countless devotees praying she launches her own label.