Hedi Slimane’s vision for Celine is completed by casting austere yet delicate models to illuminate the archetypes behind the clothes.
By MAX BERLINGER
Photography HEDI SLIMANE
The fashion industry is one where every detail counts, from the buttons down to the shoe laces. As such, each creative choice is not desultory but part of a larger statement about the comprehensive and all-encompassing vision of a brand, from the sweep of a model’s hair to the color of his or her eyes. In fact, contrary to popular belief, the model isn’t merely a human hanger, but a living embodiment of what the brand strives for, for the type of person who is supposed to live a life in these particular clothes. It’s no mistake that some runways are populated with beefy muscle-bound men who bring to mind sun-kissed Greek gods, while others feature willowy, brooding boys who look just this side of adolescence. These are choices that have been thought out to an obsessive degree. The model is, in a way, a substitute for the viewer. It’s saying that yes, these are the clothes you should wear, but, more importantly, this is the person you will become when you wear them. What more tantalizing dream of fashion, of beauty, is there?
Hedi Slimane is perhaps one of the most prolific brand builders and image makers of our time. From his attenuated silhouettes and his vintage rock-n-roll garments, he’s created collections that evoke entire worlds of out-all-night nightlife denizens, incredibly chic and aloof partygoers who are as effortless as they are unflappable. The clothes, with their sharp silhouettes, penchant for black and a blunt straightforwardness have been instrumental, of course, but so has the models he casts in his seasonal campaigns, especially in his recent years at Saint Laurent, and now as Creative Director at Celine.
“You arrive with a story, a culture, a personal language that is different from those of the house. You have to be yourself, against all odds.”