(Image credit: Courtesy of Celine)
It’s a new era for Celine. The 79-year-old French house has appointed American designer Michael Rider as its new artistic director. He’ll be responsible for all collections, including womenswear, menswear, leather goods, accessories, and couture.
Rider is replacing Hedi Slimane, who spent nearly seven years at the top of the ticket. In a press release, Celine had nothing but positive parting words for Slimane: “The holistic vision of Hedi Slimane, his exigence, and rigor have made it possible to redefine the codes of Celine while reaffirming its feminine and Parisian roots,” Celine’s statement said. “The extraordinary journey taken together over the last seven years has made Celine a house with a formidable foundation for the future.”
Rider’s appointment will take effect in early 2025. I can confidently say that the fashion world is already waiting with bated breath for his debut. “I am delighted to welcome Michael back to Celine, a maison that he knows intimately,” Severine Merle, CEO of Celine, said in a press release. “Michael’s vision, creative talent, together with his genuine nature and strong connection to Celine’s heritage make him a natural choice to continue to build a long-lasting success for the maison.”
Scroll down to learn three fast facts about Michael Rider.
1. He Spent 10 Years Working Under Phoebe Philo
Rider is certainly no stranger to the Celine brand. From 2008 to 2018, he served as the house’s design director during Phoebe Philo’s much-lauded tenure as creative director. The below image from Celine’s fall/winter 2011 show represents the sleek, well-tailored minimalism that Philo and Rider championed.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2. He Was Most Recently Creative Director of Polo Ralph Lauren
Rider was appointed creative director of womenswear at Polo Ralph Lauren in February 2018. He remained in this role until May 2024. In October 2022, Rider was part of the design team that staged Ralph Lauren’s first-ever West Coast show at the Huntington Library in Southern California. It combined every line in the Ralph Lauren universe: Polo Ralph Lauren, Collection, Purple Label, and Double RL. Two of Rider’s designs from that show are pictured below.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Ralph Lauren)
3. He Began His Career at Balenciaga
Two years after graduating from Brown University in Rhode Island, Rider worked on Nicolas Ghesquière’s team at Balenciaga from 2004 to 2008. Pictured below is a look from the fall/winter 2006 collection during Brown’s tenure as a senior designer under Ghesquière.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
