In 1976, trying to kick his cocaine addiction and looking for a change, David Bowie moved to Berlin. Alongside his roommate and collaborator Iggy Pop, Bowie wove himself into the fabric of the city’s flourishing music and art scene, frequenting punk clubs like SO36 and befriending members of bands like Neu! and Tangerine Dream.
For many years Berlin had appealed to me as a sort of sanctuary-like situation. It was one of the few cities where I could move around in virtual anonymity. I was going broke; it was cheap to live. For some reason, Berliners just didn’t care. Well, not about an English rock singer, anyway.
– David Bowie
During this period of comfortable anonymity and artistic fertility, Bowie recorded his famous “Berlin Trilogy,” a series of three albums that many
Inspired by the city’s connection to Bowie, Celine creative director Hedi Slimane channels Berlin’s energy and spirit into his latest campaign for Celine’s Fall 2019 menswear collection. Slimane, filling dual roles as both creative director and photographer, captures the collection in his signature high-contrast black and white, framed by lines of the city’s iconic architecture. Like his Fall 2019 menswear runway show, his models are androgynous and high-cheekboned (another homage to Bowie, perhaps), and the looks they sport feel crisp and classic. The campaign’s accompanying video features angular and spiraling camerawork contrasted with straight-on shots of these Celine men, while Berlin persists in the background, inviting and inspiring, almost a character unto itself. Calgary-based music collective Crack Cloud’s propulsive post-punk track “Philosopher’s Calling” fits right in, heightening the video’s sense of vibrant urban energy.
David Bowie’s longing for anonymity is present here. Against the iconic backdrop of Berlin, a single person becomes a mystery, an invitation. An anonymous stranger passing by on the street has a story, a song. Hedi Slimane is continuing to take Celine in exciting directions by directing our eyes and ears to the artistry all around us. The songs are there – we just have to listen.
Celine Creative Director | Hedi Slimane
Photographer/Director | Hedi Slimane
Models | Niall Walker, Steffen Peetz, & Tobias Vincentz
Hair | Esther Langham
Makeup | Aaron de Mey
Music | Philosopher’s Calling by Crack Cloud
Location | Berlin