As Paris Fashion Week draws to a close, Celine has announced this morning that Hedi Slimane is exiting the house. After seven years at the helm of the Parisian house, which under his creative and artistic direction has seen phenomenal growth, the acclaimed designer is stepping down with immediate effect.

“The extraordinary journey taken together over the last seven years has made Celine a house with a formidable foundation for the future,” wrote the brand in a statement.

Joining the house in 2018 following Phoebe Philo, Slimane – who first garnered a cult following during his tenures at Dior Men and Saint Laurent – quickly fused his rock n’ roll design sensibilities with the polished glamour of the LVMH-owned house, dropping the accent over the ‘e’ upon arrival. During his tenure, he has massively grown Celine’s business, introducing both beauty and menswear into the brand’s arsenal, alongside subverting the traditional catwalk format by producing Hollywood-level fashion films to unveil his collections in his final years at the house.

Slimane’s successor at Celine is yet to be announced, with the rumour mill already bubbling with guesses on where Slimane is headed next.

Photography courtesy of Saint Laurent.

@hedislimane