Elegance meets melancholy: The bright young men of Celine summer 2025
Hedi Slimane weaves British 1920s fashion into a modern tale of couture and nostalgia
For the Celine men’s summer 2025 collection, Hedi Slimane commandeered the historic grounds of Holkham Hall in Norfolk, England, for “The Bright Young” film.
If “Gossip Girl” and “Elite” were set in London, “The Bright Young” would serve as the perfect trailer for these shows. Characters like Chuck Bass, Eric van der Woodsen, Guzmán Nunier Osuna, and Polo Benavent could effortlessly embody the narrative—battling their inner demons while looking impossibly dapper.
This collection remains true to Celine’s signature “slinky chic” aesthetic, showcasing masterful tailoring drawn from the British wardrobe. Some pieces have been rewoven from 1920s summer cashmeres and wools, exclusively for Celine. Trimmed jackets and boating blazers are crafted from summer cashmere flannels, while the Trompe L’oeil couture details on a rowing jacket are hand-embroidered by the maison’s atelier.
As the models explored the garden, they donned suits with waistcoats in damask or hand-embroidered with 1920s English field flower motifs. Gilets featured floral designs composed of sequins, crystals, and high-gloss black, gold, and silver pearls.
Celine’s polished silver cannetille patches replicate historic embroidery techniques, evoking early 20th-century military uniforms. In harmony with this theme, the footwear showcased included monk straps and tapered derbies, both echoing the spirit of 1920s England.
For the closing scene, as the strains of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s “Les Indes Galantes” faded, a piano softly accompanied the visual of two undressed gentlemen beside a stream—one adorned with a Norfolk flower hat, the other tenderly plucking petals, as if waiting patiently for the next cycle of revelry and despair to begin.
