Phoebe Philo and Hedi Slimanes’ varying creative outlooks for Celine caused a rift for the Celine consumer who were accustomed to Philo’s sophisticated enclothed cognition. Since Philo’s planned departure after her Spring / Summer 2018 presentation and the commencement of Hedi Slimane’s debut collection for Celine — independent companies seized the opportunity to craft the term “New and Old Celine” — which further divided the two creative outlooks. The thirty-percent markup from the original price of Philo’s archival pieces exemplified the added financial value upon the creative director’s departure.
Regardless, renouncing Slimane’s aesthetic as secondary compared to his predecessor would be shortsighted. Slimane has a history of reviving declining brands through his unwavering design ethos from Christian Dior’s menswear to Saint Laurent, the very brand he dropped the Yves from the eponymous label. What constructed the controversy was that Celine was the antithesis of a declining, washed-up brand when Phoebe Philo willingly relinquished her tenure.