 | |
.jpg) Celine boutique in Madrid | |
| Company type | Société Anonyme |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Founder | Céline Vipiana |
| Headquarters | 16 rue Vivienne, 75002, Paris, , |
Key people | Hedi Slimane (Artistic Creative and Image Director) |
| Products | |
| Parent | LVMH |
| Website | www |
Celine (formerly spelled Céline, stylized in all caps) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1945 by designer Céline Vipiana. The headquarters are located at 16 rue Vivienne in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris at the Hôtel Colbert de Torcy, which has French Historic Monument classification.[1] Séverine Merle has been the Chief Executive Officer since April 2017.[2]
Since January 2018, Hedi Slimane has been the artistic, creative and image director of Celine, having previously served as creative director for Dior Homme and Yves Saint Laurent.[3]
In 1945, Céline Vipiana (1915–1997)[4] and her husband, Richard, created one of the first luxury brands in the industry, Céline, a made-to-measure children's shoe business,[5] and opened a first boutique at 52 rue Malte in Paris.[6] The brand was recognised by its logo, the red elephant created by Raymont Peynet.[7]
In 1960, the brand decided to change its positioning by focusing its business on a ready-to-wear fashion brand for women with a sportswear approach.[8] Henceforth, the brand offered a range of leather goods such as bags, loafers, gloves and clothes.[9] Céline Vipiana remained the designer from 1945 until her retirement in 1988.[10]
In 1964, the launch of the new fragrance "Vent fou"[11] and the new "American Sulky" collection of accessories gained success. The trench coat became the chief product of the house.[12] Prompted by the popularity of leather, Céline opened a leather goods boutique in Florence.[13]
In 1973, Céline redesigned its logo with the intertwined "C" Sulky canvas, linked to the Arc-de-Triomphe, which appeared as a symbol for Parisians.[14] At that time, Céline began its expansion in the world with the opening of various boutiques in Monte Carlo, Geneva, Hong Kong, Lausanne, Toronto and Beverly Hills.[15]
The brand's founders wished to be part of a charitable association, so, Richard Vipiana established the Céline-Pasteur Prize, a sponsor for the American Hospital of Paris in 1973.[16]
In 1987, with the approval of the Vipiana family, Bernard Arnault purchased a portion of Céline's capital.[17] In 1996, the brand was integrated into the LVMH group for 2.7 billion French francs ($540 million).[18] LVMH propelled the house to fame with the opening of a flagship boutique at 36 avenue Montaigne in Paris.[19]
Following Céline Vipiana’s retirement in 1988, Peggy Huynh Kinh, a creative director at Balmain, was appointed as the house's artistic director.[20] She modernised the brand and initiated seasonal collections for accessories. American fashion designer Michael Kors was named women's ready-to-wear designer and creative director for Céline in 1997.[21] In 2003, he left the fashion luxury house to focus his career on creating his own brand.
In 2004, the Italian designer, Roberto Menichetti, was named creative director.
A year later, the Croatian designer, Ivana Omazic, directed the design studio. Omazic was a former consultant for the brand and previously worked with Romeo Gigli, Prada, Jil Sander and Miu Miu. Omazic designed for Céline until 2008.[22]
On September 4, 2008, the fashion portal Women's Wear Daily announced that Bernard Arnault, president of LVMH, had appointed Phoebe Philo as the new creative director of Céline.[23] Philo's tenure at Céline began in October 2008, and she presented her first ready-to-wear collection for Spring/Summer 2010 at Paris Fashion Week.[24] Pierre-Yves Roussel, chief executive officer of LVMH’s fashion division, said that recruiting Philo was giving her the opportunity to express her vision.[25] In 2009, Vogue Magazine defined her style as the “cool minimal trend”.[26]
Philo studied at Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in London.[27] Prior to Céline, Philo held the position of Design Director at Chloé.
In 2010, Philo received the Designer of the Year award from British Fashion Council. In 2011, she was awarded International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.[28] Both prizes were awarded for her work at Céline.
In December 2017, Philo announced her departure from Céline after finishing the Fall 2018 collection, which was presented in March of that same year.[29]
On January 21, 2018, LVMH announced the appointment of Hedi Slimane as Artistic, Creative and Image Director, set to join the house on February 1. He is to direct all Céline collections, extending the brand's offering with the launch of men’s fashion, couture and fragrances.[30] In September 2018, Slimane presented an updated Celine logo on the brand's Instagram account.[31][32] Slimane created his retail flagship concept stores in Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, Beverly Hills, Madrid, Milan and London.[33] Slimane replaced the brand's traditional style with his personal signature "driven by youth culture, indie rock and sulking adolescence."[34]
The brand operates 178 boutiques worldwide[35] and is distributed through a selective network including the luxury department stores Bergdorf Goodman (New York), Harrods (London), Galeries Lafayette (Paris), and Faradays (Auckland).[36]