Hermès A/W 2018/19, Paris Men's Fashion Week, Jan. 20, 2018.
(Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images)
Hermès A/W 2018/19, Paris Men's Fashion Week, Jan. 20, 2018.
(Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images)
FASHIONREDEF PICKS
Azzedine Alaïa Association, Hedi Slimane to Céline, Stefan Cooke and Art School, Amazon Go...
HK Mindy Meissen, curator January 22, 2018
QUOTABLES!
quote of the day
Architecture takes five years. In fashion something amazing can be ready in just 24 hours. I've always had a slight fashion envy because of that speed.
Rem Koolhaas, 2018
fashion
rant n' rave
rantnrave://

HEDI SLIMANE is returning to fashion once again, this time as PHOEBE PHILO's successor at CÉLINE. Slimane has been a lightning rod in recent years, known for PR scuffles and epic TWEET-rants (before that became a sanctioned modus of political communication). It's Hedi of protest parodies: “ain’t LAURENT without YVES.” It's Hedi of banned journalists. But let's leave past controversies for the moment. For LVMH, the appointment looks like a bid for powerhouse growth. Philo’s Céline, despite its pervasive influence from luxury to fast fashion, was focused solely on women's collections. That refinement and scope—collections for a cultivated, urbane customer—could be viewed as a slice of a slice of the potential market. Should the market include everyone when restraint was part of the label's appeal? With Slimane given broad oversight as "artistic, creative, and image director," the company will expand into men's, couture, and fragrances. Call it a commercial decision—the business school version of a pretty sure bet given Slimane's past success driving sales growth for Saint Laurent. But I’ll temper that with sincere fascination for the possibility that Slimane can bring back some of the magic he worked at DIOR HOMME from 2000–2007—not in literal aesthetic, but more in vision and design. Slimane's regal, rock-infused tailoring for Dior Homme forms an impenetrable bedrock of legacy for men's fashion. It still inspires. Philo made Céline covetable for men despite never explicitly designing for them—and that spark could find expression in Slimane's men's collections at Céline. Will we be venturing back to the polarizing days of believers and haters (while cash-voting customers buy it all), from Slimane's Saint Laurent days? What about Céline's reputation as a label designed by a woman innately attuned to what women want to wear? And the question remains as to whether Philo will move to another role in fashion. Near-term, Slimane's takeover ensures Céline is one of the most-watched labels in fashion. Will the legacy Philo built at Céline remain?... Wonderful news that AZZEDINE ALAÏA’s maison will go on, with plans to preserve the late designer's legacy... Briefs: AMAZON GO is open for business... Storage solutions at PRADA... This dress.

HK Mindy Meissen, curator

January 22, 2018