Riding into a New Era
Get an exclusive look at Celine‘s innovative Spring 2026 fashion show from the runways of Paris Fashion Week, held in July 2025.
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Celine Past and Present, American Preppy meets Modern French Dressing, Country Pursuits, Couture Craftsmanship
Taking place, fittingly for a new beginning, at the Celine Headquarters at 16 Rue Vivienne, guests entered the venue for today’s debut show by taking a short stroll to the entrance. Not simply as a way to usher them in, it also served as a marketing moment as the road was lined with branded bicycles and straw baskets, a sign perhaps that Micheal Rider (one of half a dozen creative director debuts scheduled for 2025) was set to return to the very essence of the Celine brand and its quintessential ‘Frenchness’. As an oversized equestrian-inspired scarf also hung like a beautiful canopy over the open courtyard of the HQ, protecting the unlucky few who found themselves seated there when the heavens decided to open.
This minor setback would not disrupt proceedings though, as –
from the first look it was clear that a new era was being born, one that would satisfy both the ‘Philophiles’ (Rider worked under Phoebe Philo between 2008 and 2018) and the ‘Slimaniacs’ alike, as this was not so much a divorce from the past, but a marrying of the two worlds.
From the invitation, delivered in an off-white silk scarf – suggesting preservation, the perfect finishing touch, or something to be treasured – to the final model who took to the runway this was confirmation that the bourgeoise was back – including an homage to the brands horse-drawn carriage logo. It marked the new creative directors commitment to steeping today’s collection in its heritage, while reflecting a modern vision of refined Parisian style, this meant it was not all buttoned-up chic but an instinctual merging of the past with the present in the form of hand-crafted tailoring, skinny pants, graphic T-shirts, and blouson-sleeve sweatshirts.
Rider’s Celine has an eye on reformulating Parisian dressing, one wardrobe category at a time.
Nothing was left untouched on today’s runway, yet it all worked together. And, instead of an obsession with the svelte frames of youth, the ‘semi-diversification’ of models was a welcome shift, signalling who this #NewCeline is for.
The collection itself was a confident first outing that is sure to please fans of the house. Country pursuits and couture craftmanship were unified, while 1970s American preppy met a lightly restrained version of 1980s excess (via Claude Montana-style leather outerwear and volume sleeves). Silhouettes placed emphasis on volume up top tapering down to a skinnier fit on the bottom, so broad shouldered blazers cinched at the waist, those aforementioned blouson sleeves, cropped bomber jackets and boxy furs. Trousers came cropped or narrowed into the ankle, were ski pant slim or (what is sure to ignite many a think-piece) in the form of the ‘skinny jean’. The collegiate dress codes seen across the mens shows and manifested here as the shirt and striped tie – the unofficial uniform of spring 2026 – gave off brat pack vibes, along with the argyle knits and camel Crombie coats. The Celine logo T-shirt made a statement in it’s monochromatic format, as a throwback to the rock band mainstay of the Slimane era, which makes perfect sense paired with white skinny jeans, as it is sure to draw back in the Gen Z crowd, while the horse and carriage sweater will suit the moneyed set on the slopes of Courchevel. A subtle undertone nodding to the house’s heritage could also be found in the red, white, and blue colour palette used throughout the collection, especially on the footwear, while a multi-layered approach to chunky gold jewellery – used as both decoration and adornment – fell on just the right side of costume dressing.
Bags were also an intrinsic part of Rider’s vision, but here they felt like a natural extension to each look, as if monogrammed tote bags with co-ordinating phone holders had been grabbed on the way out the door, a maximalist tan hobo contained swatches and sketchbooks for an interior design project, multi-gusseted shoulder bags appeared full of all the things a woman living a multi-faceted lifestyle would need, and practical duffle’s that could hold a range of sporting paraphernalia accompanied the men’s preppy looks. This was clearly a conscious decision to seamlessly style the brands ‘bread-and-butter’ alongside each look, introducing what was in effect a well-rounded and covetable bag collection that is likely to sell-out before the clothes hit the shop floor.
On another accessories front, it was telling that the majority of the collection was styled with flats or kitten heels. Even the evening looks were grounded, perhaps as a nod to working under Philo and her philosophy of women dressing for themselves, coupled with his time at Ralph Lauren. The concept of models – as well as the Celine customer – teetering around the city in towering heels seems misaligned with how the modern Parisian woman would want to dress today.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
Micheal Rider presented a cohesive narrative for his vision of Celine, a brand which has gone through a number of well received and highly impactful iterations, and in merging the past with the present the new creative director is sure to satisfy fans of his predecessors while bringing forth his own ideas for who he believes the Celine customer is now.
One whose wardrobe will remain eternally Parisian and won’t compromise on having a point of view when it comes to their personal style.
