STYLE Edit: Why did Hedi Slimane change tack with Celine’s nostalgic winter collection?

The Celine Women’s Winter 2019 collection may have come as a surprise to those who were expecting director Hedi Slimane’s trademark unisex tailored skinny black suits and monochromatic looks that made him famous at Saint Laurent and Dior Homme.

But, Slimane looked to Celine’s archives for this season’s design inspiration – harking back to the French maison of the 1970s – before the time of his predecessor Phoebe Philo and the commercial influence of LVMH’s 1996 acquisition of the brand.

Within this nostalgic collection, Slimane featured the historical Triomphe motif, also uncovered by the director in the Celine design archives.

Conceived in 1972, the link motif draws its shape from the chain encircling the Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile, one of the most famous landmarks in Paris.

Slimane has used this symbol before; initially reinterpreted in 2018 and as seen in the Celine Triomphe collection, the motif features as a statement gold buckle on women’s handbags.

This autumn, however, Celine presents the Triomphe Canvas collection, which takes the iconic monogram a step further: embossing it onto a natural cotton weave canvas. The result is worlds apart from the cleaner, simpler Triomphe collection, instead offering a little more historical richness and rough-and-tumble appeal with its textured coated canvas.

The Triomphe Canvas ‘Haute Maroquinerie’ collection encompasses luggage, bags, small leather goods and accessories for numerous functions.

A spacious Boston Bag or Voyage Bag would be perfect for a weekend getaway, featuring tan calfskin and saddle stitching for a classic, understated finish. The Voyage Bag and the Small Vertical Cabas both boldly show the Celine logotype across the canvas.