By Alice Pfeiffer, CNN
Paris (CNN) — It was eerily still in Paris on Sunday, as the streets came to a standstill for “Paris Respire”, a car-free scheme where certain districts in the city are closed to motorized traffic for the day. Yet, the Tuileries Gardens was buzzing with a stylish crowd, many of whom wore the same white scarf tied around their neck, wrist, or bag.
Far from it being a coincidence, the scarf was part of the invitation that luxury label Celine had sent to guests invited to see its Spring 2026 collection. Staged at the brand’s Right Bank headquarters, a day before Paris Haute Couture Week, the show was notable: Not only was it Celine’s first in years (the last physical show took place in December 2022, under its former designer Hedi Slimane, who preferred to his present his collections via short films), it also offered a first look at the highly anticipated debut designs under new artistic director Michael Rider.
Since being appointed at Celine in October last year, taking up the role in early 2025 after six years at Polo Ralph Lauren, Rider has laid low. While French luxury house Dior sought to drum up interest for its new designer Jonathan Anderson by teasing elements of the new collection on social media, Celine has kept everything under wraps, with the silk scarf invite — which also features in the brand’s advertisements plastered across Paris — being the only indicator for what to expect.
A bevy of high-profile stars sat under a giant carré de soie (silk pocket square) stretched like a canopy in the courtyard. These included Naomi Watts, Kristen Wiig, and Kim Taehyung, better known as V, from K-pop band BTS, who arrived on a bicycle. Singer Alanis Morisette told CNN ahead of the show that she had “so much anticipation to see what Michael Rider has done.” Other fashion designers including Jonathan Anderson and Raf Simons, formerly of Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein, also turned out to show their support.
The show, which took place in the rain (attendees were given Celine-branded umbrellas), comprised both men and womenswear. There were nods to the brand’s past, whether it was the references to the 1970s archives, the clean lines reminiscent of former designer Phoebe Philo (who amassed a cult following known as “Philophiles” during her tenure), or the lean silhouettes favored by Slimane. Also present were culottes paired with flat Mary Janes and a full flash of the Eighties: balloon-leg washed denim trousers, high-waisted pants tucked into boxing boots, and a tweed jacket with wide shoulders. Horsebit detailing adorned slim ankle boots.
But Rider also wove in references to his own past — an argyle jumper could have come straight out of a Ralph Lauren collection, while flounced hems on a knit cardigan recalled Balenciaga’s cocoon shapes during Rider’s time working under designer Nicolas Ghesquière in the early noughties. There were personal playful touches, too: see the opulent stacked jewelry, rings on every finger.
In all, there was a preppy American feel intertwined with French sophistication in the looks. Law Roach, stylist to the stars including Zendaya, seemed to have an inkling for what was coming. “I want to see this American flair in this Parisian house… I’m so excited to see the newness,” he told CNN ahead of the show, nodding to the long history of American designers in Paris, including Michael Kors who designed Celine from 1997 to 2004.
Rider is stepping into big shoes: His predecessor turned Celine into a commercial heavyweight, bringing in an estimated €2.5 billion ($2.76 billion) annually, with the expansion of menswear, leather goods, and fragrance — areas that Rider will continue to oversee. But with his deep familiarity with the Celine maison, he seems intent on ushering in a chapter that is less about spectacle and more about nuance — an approach that tends to age well in fashion.
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Naomi Watts, BTS’ Kim Taehyung and more turn out for Celine fashion show News Channel 3-12.
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