Line Works

Hedi Slimane’s store designs ramp up retail at Celine.

- Amy Serafin

Hedi Slimane has lost no time in making Celine his own, after taking over as creative director at the luxury brand given cult status by the departing Phoebe Philo. Since his arrival last year, Slimane has removed the accent on the ‘e’, introduced menswear, put his stamp firmly on womenswear, and is now rolling out his new retail concept worldwide.

Of the latest move, Celine’s CEO Séverine Merle explains: ‘Celine has a great distribution network and high-quality visibility but no large stores. We need to open flagships in major cities, larger stores that can accommodate menswear and newly expanded women’s collections.’ Which is why in March, less than a month after inaugurating its 5,000 sq ft New York flagship at 650 Madison Avenue, Celine unveiled two addresses in Paris: a remodeled two-story space for menswear and womenswear on rue de Grenelle, and the brand’s first menswear flagship on rue François 1er. By mid-April, the French Maison had also opened new boutiques in Tokyo, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, and London, while a store in Beijing is due to follow before the end of the year.

Slimane designed all of the spaces in collaboration with Celine’s in-house team. Though each store is unique, they share common traits, such as an emphasis on natural stone and other bold materials. Massive, richly veined slabs of marble, granite, and travertine appear on walls, shelves, and blocky columns, while the floors are lined with Basaltina lava stone. Their contrasting patterns are a feast for the eyes, reflected in floor-to-ceiling mirrors and steel surfaces. Reclaimed oak along with wood and leather furniture bring warm accents of brown to the sleek black-and-white palette.