Scene setting: The invitation to Céline’s show – one which has been hailed as the knockout show of Paris Fashion Week – bore a jubilant image of a nude and star-jumping Sheily Pepper shot by Juergen Teller, the photographer behind its advertising campaigns. The invite acted as a precursor to a show which was joyful and comforting, offering numerous options for clothes real women want to wear – a notion confirmed by the flowing stream of Instagram captions on stories and posts that hailed the collection as ‘perfection’. This comfort was emphasised in the set up of the runway set, its interior erected as a huge tent, with benches wrapped in colourful sleeping bags.
Mood board: This was a collection that answered all clothing solutions for the elegant executive businesswomen (as a good chunk of Céline’s demographic are). There were oversized trouser suits in white and khaki, cropped tuxedo jackets and pleated skirts paired with boxy shouldered blazers. Trench coat silhouettes were redefined, looping around the knee and buttoning back onto blazers. For the Céline woman’s days off, there were gauzy shirts and skirts with bright panels of colour, sweeping silk negligees with lace cut outs, halter neck dresses with rows of sweeping fringing and draped dresses with leather peplums that exaggerated the waist.
Finishing touches: True to Céline form, looks were completed with an array of amazing accessories. There were booties in caged leather, sneakers with platform soles, 1980s court shoes with caged toes and loafers with long tassels. Bags came in an array of sizes and leathers, from cushiony clutch bags tucked under the arm, to huge oversized totes, drawstring backpacks carried in the hand and clear plastic logoed shoppers.