Celine, Delivering the Frenchy Accessories We J’Adore

Just a mere handful of years ago, the world was shocked, saddened and confused about Phoebe Philo’s departure from the luxury French house of Celine (CÉLINE back then). Previously creative director for Chloé, Philo was brought on as Croatian designer Ivana Omazic’s successor in 2008, due to disappointments in how the brand was evolving. Philo’s paired back, chic and considered design style acutely pivoted the trajectory of the brand and propelled Celine into a decade of grandeur.

Can you remember the hold the Celine trio bag held on our society for a good 5 years in the mid 2010’s? I vividly recall the cross-body bag and iconic Luggage Tote were objects of great desire, seen carried by the most fashionable elite, for years. It’s evident that in CÉLINE’s heyday, it was the accessories that

Since Philo’s departure in 2018, the Hedi Slimane era of Celine began. A logo change, dial up of androgenous punk-rock aesthetic (undoubtedly borrowed from his time at Yves Saint Laurent) and a lot of black, were the first DNA changes he made to the house. Many have critiqued, scorned and mourned his collections compared to Philo’s, but we think the French designer had the right idea all along.

4 years on, it seems the Hedi Slimane version Celine makes a lot more sense. A brand identity that has evolved into something that honours the past while driving the house into a desired space for the generations to come.

Reigning true to the brand’s history, the division of the collection where the designs truly sing are in their accessories. Bags, hats, shoes and jewellery combine exceptional French craftsmanship with edgy logo-mania and a sprinkling of bling.

The renaissance of the iconic Triomphe emblem, created originally by its founder Céline Vipiana, whose car once broke down in Paris, right in front of the Arc de Triomphe, has had a modern makeover. Slimane has revived the logo and plastered it on bags and belts, as an homage to the history and significance Paris holds for the house.