Celine fashion show. At the Palace, Hedi Slimane evokes the Parisian night

Rue du Faubourg Montmartre was cordoned off last night around 7pm, near the Palais, the venerable theater that was one of the most famous nightclubs in the world in the 1980s, the Paris equivalent of Studio 54, where the same alchemy was; Famous was not enough to enter these decadent temples of the night, it was better to show off an original look, style, whatever, and catch the eye of the Cerberian hairdressers who blocked entry to the sad people. Last night, the artistic director of the house of Celine, Hedi Slimane, presented his new Men’s Fall-Winter 2023/24 collection, in this fabulous place, as they like, the one who has already shown his fashion at the Hollywood Palladium or h. The Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.

So at the end of a chilly day dozens of young men, known or unknown, French or Anglo-Saxon, huddled under cover. The dress code was completely Hedi Slimane, leather or glitter, skinny guys in jackets or fur coats, bare chest, thin tie or a neck tie. girls in black, minidresses and bare legs, smoky lids and elaborately coiffed hair. All wore boots, reptiles, leopard print, rhinestones. Of course, dark glasses. In short, a youth with a retro-vintage sensibility, who dreams of the years, years when parade, dancing, loving, partying was still a way of life and not paid conformity on Instagram. Hedi Slimane danced in the palace. Apparently, he celebrated his birthday there. He was one of those free young men. Years later, he remained this unique creator, still free, secretive, restless for the dictates of his surroundings and still fascinated by youth, its freedom, its fantasy, its extraordinary energy.

Tour de force

Therefore, the palace momentarily regained its former glory, a theatrical setting for this experience that seemed to relativize space-time, in a happy communication of fashion and music, which Slimane loves, rock, electro, punk rock, New York music. band Suicide featuring the soundtrack to the parade. Boys and a few girls pass through the narrow corridors of the Palace. Everyone rushes around giddy, hands in pockets, hurrying, dark glasses and unruly hair. They wear tight leather pants, short jackets, sometimes with rhinestones, bomber jackets, leopard print, black – a lot -, boots. Slimane style? Signature: “To rebel without a reason.” This lean, rock, dark silhouette, from the 80s, but timeless, is attentive to the elegance that goes beyond the anecdote and merges into a kind of Anglo-Saxon mythology that will be completely intertwined with the idea of ​​u200bu200bliberty. This electrifying parade is part show of strength, part manifesto and part celebration of eternal youth.

first row

In the front row, a colorful fauna, super-cool replicas of models already disappearing behind giant white neon lights backstage, and hand-picked gorgeous people: Delphine Arnaud, Catherine Deneuve, the symbol of freedom, her daughter. Chiara Mastroianni, Benjamin Biolay, Etienne Daho, Jane Birkin, as well as Susan Lyndon, Vincent Lacoste or Anais Demostier. Facing this French title, Jack White, but especially Lisa Manoban, the queen of K-Pop, member of Blackpink, the most adorable Korean girl group at the moment. Hedi Slimane noticed him before anyone else, and he embodies in his own way the rebellious American dream, transformed and reimagined by the Asian continent. Yesterday evening, this ambassador of the house was shining in an open black jacket, under the debris of sparkles.

Busy waiters on the steps of the palace offered Celine pretzels and refreshing lemonades. The Libertines, owned by Pete Doherty (his white Husky roaming the stage without a leash – quite a symbol), were about to play. Interestingly, Paris was similar to Los Angeles. And for once the city was indeed a party.