THE JOURNAL
Four seasons in and Mr Hedi Slimane appears to be settling nicely into his groove at CELINE HOMME. His new AW22 show film, “BOY DOLL”, follows a pattern established by previous collections The Dancing Kid, Teen Knight Poem and Cosmic Cruiser. Chic setting? Check: in this case, L’Olympia Bruno Coquatrix, a historic Parisian music hall, which has played host to such legendary acts as Messrs Serge Gainsbourg, Bob Dylan and David Bowie. Original soundtrack from a white-hot musician? Check: provided here by the Swedish pop-punk starlet ShitKid. Art collaboration? Check: the New York artist Mr Banks Violette, an old friend of Slimane’s, contributed three artworks to the collection.
But while it’s true to an extent that you know what you’re getting with Slimane – there will be music and glamour; there will be slicked-back hair, killer heels, animal prints and leather jackets – that doesn’t make his biannual outings with CELINE HOMME any less of a delight for fashion fans, who are still yet to find anybody in the industry to rival his moody theatricality. Nor, for that matter, does it dull our appetite for the collections themselves, which continue to push modern luxury in a thrilling new direction.
“BOY DOLL” – which is now available at MR PORTER – immediately feels like a CELINE HOMME collection. The sharp tailoring and exquisite leathers underline the brand’s reputation as one of Paris’ top luxury houses. Here, too, are the logo tees, sweats and baseball caps that have made it one of the world’s most recognisable labels. Acolytes will find plenty here to get their teeth into.
It's in the finer details – the silhouettes, the garment finishing and the accessories – that we find Slimane’s signature. Tailoring is boxy above the waist, flared and cropped below it; denim is finished with raw-edge hems and split knees; shoes and boots are a mix of after-dark glam (think embellished western boots) and rugged utility. And, unsurprisingly, the jewellery and statement sunglasses that complete the collection look set for must-have status. It wouldn’t be Slimane-era CELINE HOMME otherwise, would it?