Imagine a fashion show without music. The scrape of heels against the floor, the squeak of a sneaker, an awkward cough from someone in the audience – most can agree it’d be an unusual experience. Music’s role in fashion shows is a less-often considered element of the performance. People tend to – for obvious reasons – fixate on the clothes, the venue, even the audience substantially more than they do the soundtrack of the event. Yet, you’d certainly notice if it wasn’t there.
Celine is one brand which recognises the value of a carefully curated soundtrack. They know how to not only use music to fill the silence of a room but also for world-building, to create an atmosphere and put an image into their audience’s minds which compliments the garments being presented before them. Recently, the world we’ve seen conjured by Celine’s music choices is one laced heavily with elements of rock, an aesthetic synonymous with its creative director, Hedi Slimane’s roots.
HEDI’S ROOTS IN ROCK
Hedi Slimane initially became creative director at Celine back in 2018, and gained a reputation at the brand’s helm. His attention to detail and instinct for generating nostalgia has been proven time and time again, but recently one thing that Hedi’s personally nostalgic for has made it to the forefront of Celine’s aesthetic.
Hedi’s long-standing relationship with the indie rock scene, particularly back in the 2000s, is seeping slowly into the seams of Celine’s fabric, recently conceptualised through Hedi’s revival of the Original Skinny Jean and his love for leather and low rise. His involvement in the documentary, ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’ reminisces the rock scene in New York at the turn of the century and Hedi’s own role in the movement as a photographer at the time.
TURNING SOUND WAVES INTO FASHION
It’s clear from the indie sleaze aesthetic of Celine’s recent collections that Hedi’s eager to bring it back, and music is the key to making this happen. The brand’s 2023 Winter collection which showcased in Los Angeles this month had models walk the runway to the soundtrack of The White Stripes’ “Hello Operator” and invited The Strokes, Iggy Pop, and Interpol to perform at the after party – all icons of the indie rock music scene.
This isn’t the first time rock music has reverberated through the venue of a Celine show and it undoubtedly won’t be the last. With Hedi Slimane’s goal of bringing the indie rock aesthetic back into the limelight, we’re looking forward to seeing more of Hedi’s rock-revival ensembles walking to the riff of a guitar solo.
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