Slimane has yet to comment on why he exited Celine, where he was swiftly replaced by the American Ralph Lauren alum Michael Rider (a low-key guy of whom even fewer images exist on the Internet). But on his way out, Slimane seemed to drop hints about his future ambitions. His final women’s collections, heavy on distinctive collarless tweed jackets and posh pleated skirts, looked to many observers like a not-so-subtle tryout for the then-vacant creative director job at Chanel.
In early December, of course, Chanel swiped Matthieu Blazy from Bottega Veneta. Cue shiny black stallion, and Slimane riding off into the sunset? Hardly. In the days when Blazy’s appointment hadn’t been formally announced—but was an open secret—an Instagram account called Hedi Slimane Homme came online. The first post recapped Slimane’s “Black Tie” collection for Yves Saint Laurent in 1999, when the young designer burst on the scene with a virile vision of men’s style that was hardcore but also tender, like the rock ’n’ rollers he documented in graffiti-covered clubs. The account—widely assumed to be run by Slimane or someone close to him—has also published archival images from Slimane’s groundbreaking run at Dior Homme in the aughts, when he introduced his now-signature dagger-sharp silhouette to the masses, and from his return to Saint Laurent from 2012-2016 when he moved to LA and found grungy inspiration in SoCal’s surf scenes.
Fashion world group chats immediately lit up with the same question: is Slimane teasing his long-rumored solo act?
Hedi Slimane Homme does have a nice ring to it, and there are several factors pointing to a potential independent venture. For one, Slimane is famous for insisting on complete creative control over every aspect of the brands he has worked for. At Celine, for instance, he photographed every campaign, personally oversaw the development and launch of fragrance, and eventually got rid of seasonal runway shows for lavishly-produced short films that he dropped at whim. Still, he ultimately reported to his bosses at LVMH. With his own brand, Slimane could showcase his clothing however he wanted, on any schedule. (A feature film scored by The Dare starring Iggy Pop and Nettspend?) Phoebe Philo, Slimane’s equally demanding Celine predecessor, has proven it can work with the right financial backing (LVMH has a minority stake in her business).
But don’t get your hopes up just yet, Slimaniacs. During past free agencies, the designer has fiercely kiboshed rumors that he’s launching an indie brand. In 2016, WWD published a rumor that Slimane had been spotted in Qatar drumming up investment for an eponymous fashion venture from gulf state fund Mayhoola, which owns Valentino and Balmain. In response, Slimane tweeted a statement from his lawyer that read, in part, “For the record, Hedi Slimane has never had in the past, let alone now, the intention or desire to launch a brand under his name,” adding that he had Slimane expanded on his thinking a year later to The New York Times, saying, “My own name was always off limits, entirely dedicated to photography. It is a necessity for me, and reasonable, to create clear, legitimate and protective creative territories and boundaries.”
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