LVMH has hired former Polo Ralph Lauren creative chief Michael Rider to succeed Hedi Slimane as artistic director of the Celine fashion label.
Rider, who previously worked at Celine as a designer, will rejoin the label early next year. He’ll take over from Slimane, one of the industry’s biggest names, who turned Celine into an "iconic French couture house” during his seven-year tenure, LVMH said on Wednesday (Oct 2).
Rider began his fashion career at Balenciaga, a Kering brand, before moving to Celine where he stayed for about a decade under Phoebe Philo.
Most recently Rider was Polo Ralph Lauren creative director, one of the lines of Ralph Lauren Corp.
The US fashion group has been a strong performer despite a slowdown in demand for high-end goods, with its share price gaining about a third so far this year in New York.
Rider will join the Celine early next year and will be taking on a role from a creative director who has had a significant influence on the French Label in the past seven years.
Under Slimane, Celine widened its customer base, appealing to a younger demographic through campaigns featuring models like Kaia Gerber. The French designer also re-introduced the brand’s inverted double-C logo, and launched the popular Triomphe handbag shortly after taking over.
The 56-year-old was known as being hands-on, even shooting ad campaigns himself.
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During Slimane’s time as artistic director, Celine moved into high-end fragrances, a strategy followed by peers like Kering SA leather goods label Bottega Veneta, which is set to launch its own perfume this year.
Slimane made a name for himself by tearing up some of the unwritten codes of the fashion industry. H
He skipped presentations during the official calendar of the Paris Fashion Week, when fashion editors, buyers and influencers descend on the French capital.
Slimane has sometimes opted for films as an alternative way to unveil new collections.
The designer has also been notable for his absence from the LVMH Fashion Prize, awarded each year to an emerging talent, marking a stark contrast to attendees including Louis Vuitton menswear designer Pharrell Williams, Christian Dior womenswear designer Maria Grazia Chiuri and even Philo herself.
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE doesn’t break down revenue and profit by label, but HSBC estimates that Celine generated about €2.6bil (approximately RM12.1bil)) in revenue last year, about 3% of the luxury group’s total, making it the group’s seventh-biggest contributor in terms of earnings before interest and taxes.
Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior Couture are LVMH’s two biggest fashion labels.
Celine, a Paris accessories brand founded in 1945, gained in popularity under designer Philo, who left in 2017 after a 10-year stint which saw her designs lauded for their intellectual, grown-up woman chic.
Severine Merle has been Celine’s chief executive officer for the past seven years, and the brand is currently part of LVMH’s fashion group, which is temporarily being overseen by Sidney Toledano. – Bloomberg
