Celine (formerly Céline) was founded by Céline Vipiana in France in 1945. Beginning as a made-to-measure children’s shoe brand in Paris, Celine began focusing on womenswear from 1960. With a sportswear approach, Vipiana aimed to design clothes which were practical but fashionable. By the 70’s, the brand was international, with stores around the globe. Céline Vipiana was the designer up until 1997. LVMH has owned the brand since 1996, and since then, Michael Kors and Phoebe Philo have directed design for various periods, with Hedi Slimane the current Creative Director today.
From Slimane’s appointment as director, the brand has expanded its offering from womenswear, bags and accessories into menswear and fragrances too. Slimane also removed the accent over the ‘e’ in ‘Céline’, representing his changes to the brand altogether. Having evolved over the years with its various designers, Celine now encapsulates Slimane’s ability to modernise. Classic Celine pieces, such as the Sulky bag and the tailored blazer are still an important part of the fashion house, and will always play a role in influencing design. However, the brand is also inspired by youth culture and the new generations, answering to the call of the grandchildren of Celine’s original clientele. Appreciation is given to a more casual and effortless style, laid back yet still chic. Drawing on ‘sulky adolescence’, Celine is youthful and fresh. Despite having been drawn on inspiration from the young, the pieces are wearable and translate impeccably on all generations. GQ has called Celine ‘the fashion equivalent of botox’.
Celine has numerous stores located across the world, in cities such as London, Paris and Tokyo. Celine can be purchased through their online store, while the menswear collections are available from Mr Porter. Sunglasses collections can be found online through Selfridges and Net-a-Porter.