Hedi Slimane
Hedi Slimane | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 5, 1968 Paris, France |
| Occupation(s) | Couturier, photographer |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | Creative director at Dior Homme, Yves Saint Laurent, Celine |
Hedi Slimane (; born July 5, 1968) is a French couturier and photographer. He held the position of creative director at Dior Homme from 2000 until 2007, then led Yves Saint Laurent between 2012 and 2016. From February 2018 through October 2024, Slimane was responsible for the creative, artistic, and image direction at Celine.
Early life
Slimane was born in Paris’s 11th arrondissement and raised in the 19th district. His father, an accountant of Tunisian descent, and his mother, an Italian seamstress, exposed him early on to the world of fashion; additionally, two of his uncles worked as tailors. As a child, he collaborated with his mother by designing garments—he would sketch ideas and choose fabrics while she executed the sewing. Though initially interested in fashion, he first pursued studies in political science and journalism before dedicating himself to design.
At age eleven, Slimane developed an interest in photography and mastered darkroom techniques. He went on to study Art History at the École du Louvre and completed an apprenticeship in tailoring at a menswear design house.
Fashion
Despite lacking formal fashion education, Slimane began his professional journey working under designer José Lévy and subsequently assisted fashion consultant Jean-Jacques Picart on Louis Vuitton’s monogram canvas project. Through Picart, he was introduced to Pierre Bergé, who appointed him in 1996 as ready-to-wear director for men’s collections at Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), where Slimane ultimately became artistic director. At YSL, he revitalized the menswear line by emphasizing cut, proportion, and silhouette rather than decorative elements.
After unveiling his signature "skinny" silhouette with the 2000–01 Black Tie collection, Slimane departed from YSL. He turned down the creative director position at Jil Sander and instead joined Christian Dior as creative director for Dior Homme menswear. In 2001, he launched Dior Homme’s inaugural fragrance under his leadership titled Higher; he designed its packaging and collaborated with Richard Avedon on the advertising campaign. The following year, Slimane became the first menswear designer awarded the CFDA International Designer prize, presented by David Bowie—whom he also styled for various tours.
During his Dior tenure, Slimane created Brad Pitt’s wedding suit for his marriage to Jennifer Aniston and dressed female icons such as Madonna and Nicole Kidman. He also designed stage outfits for bands including the Libertines, Daft Punk, Franz Ferdinand, as well as artists like Mick Jagger and Beck. His runway presentations often featured original soundtracks by emerging avant-garde musicians such as Beck, Phoenix, Razorlight, and These New Puritans.
In 2007, Slimane exited Dior Homme following unsuccessful negotiations regarding financing his own label. He stressed the importance of retaining control over his name and brand management before returning to focus on photography.
After John Galliano’s departure from Dior in 2011, Slimane was rumored to be a candidate for the creative director role. In 2012, Yves Saint Laurent (under PPR ownership) appointed him as creative director following Stefano Pilati’s exit. Notably, Slimane established his studio in Los Angeles instead of Paris. Anthony Vaccarello succeeded him in 2016.
In January 2018, LVMH named Slimane creative director at Céline, initiating a brand overhaul that included removing the French accent from its name. In April of that year, he secured over €8 million in a legal dispute against Kering concerning unpaid non-compete fees.
Slimane debuted his first dedicated menswear show for Céline in January 2019. Amid the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, he presented the men’s spring-summer 2021 collection through a video filmed at France’s Castelet circuit. From 2021 onward, he distanced himself from Paris Fashion Week’s official schedule by unveiling both men’s and women’s collections via short films shot at iconic venues such as Château de Chambord, Baie des Anges in Nice, Hôtel de la Marine in Paris, The Wiltern in Los Angeles, Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, and the Mojave Desert.
In April 2021, Céline’s Fall-Winter women’s collection was revealed through a video presentation at Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. On June 26, 2022, Slimane returned to Palais de Tokyo—the location where he had showcased his Dior Homme autumn/winter show twenty years earlier—to present Céline’s spring/summer 2023 collection as an homage to his legacy in menswear.
Slimane departed from Céline in October 2024.
Dior
In 2004, during his tenure overseeing Dior Homme collections, Hedi Slimane developed a private line of colognes, which included Cologne Blanche, Eau Noire, and Bois d'Argent. He was responsible for the bottle designs and modernized the Dior logo by applying uppercase typography. This exclusive assortment was available solely through Maison Christian Dior boutiques, representing Dior's inaugural venture into colognes.
The following year, with the debut of Collection Privée Christian Dior, Slimane partnered with Olivier Polge to create the Dior Homme fragrance, which highlighted a Masculinized Iris scent. He also crafted the bottle design, conceptualized the product, and directed the advertising campaign for this release.
In 2006, Slimane broadened the Dior Homme range by introducing a six-item skincare collection named Dior Homme Dermo System, specifically tailored to men's grooming requirements.
Celine
As artistic director of Celine in 2019, Hedi Slimane unveiled the Celine Haute Parfumerie collection, comprising 11 fragrances with two additional scents—"Rimbaud" and "Bois Dormant"—scheduled for future launch. To support this premium line, he established dedicated boutiques on Rue Saint Honoré, within Le Bon Marché in Paris, and at Harrods in London. Prior to this initiative, Celine had not offered perfumes since 1964. Slimane personally designed the bottles and selected fragrance names inspired by his olfactory journal. The entire collection is unisex, appealing to both male and female consumers.
In 2021, the brand further expanded its offerings by introducing a series of scented candles.
By April 2024, Slimane added Zouzou, marking the twelfth fragrance in the Haute Parfumerie range. The collection now includes twelve scents: nine intended for daytime use (Parade, Saint-Germain-Des-Prés, Cologne Française, La Peau Nue, Zouzou, Rimbaud, Bois Dormant, Eau de Californie) alongside three designed for evening wear (Reptile, Black Tie, Nightclubbing).
Watchmaking
In 2004 at Dior, Slimane launched the Chiffre Rouge watch—Dior’s first automatic timepiece—offered in 21 different versions. The movement was engineered by Zenith Manufacture. Updated editions were introduced in 2015 and again in 2024. Celebrating its twentieth anniversary with a February release in 2024, the collection caters to both male and female audiences.
This watch is distinguished by its asymmetrical design and signature red accents that hold symbolic significance for the brand. A limited edition embellished with gemstones and a spectrum of jewels was produced in an exclusive run of just 20 units.
Cosmetics
March 2024 saw Celine introduce Celine Beauty, its inaugural cosmetics line under Slimane’s leadership. The debut product was the lipstick "Rouge Triomphe," released in autumn 2024 as part of an initial fifteen-shade collection slated for availability beginning January 2025.
Art and photography
After departing from Yves Saint Laurent, Slimane relocated to Berlin where he held an artist residency at the Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art from 2000 until 2002. His first publication, Berlin (2002), captured Berlin’s cultural scene through black-and-white photography. This was succeeded by Stage (2004), which documented the rock revival and Generation 2.0 movement. That same year he also designed the album cover for Phoenix’s Alphabetical.
His 2005 work London Birth of a Cult portrayed British rocker Pete Doherty’s lifestyle and represented London's emerging punk rock scene. This project culminated in a "London" feature published by French daily Libération in May 2005.
In May 2006, Slimane launched his photographic blog Hedi Slimane Diary and initiated his Rock Diary collaboration with NME journalist Alex Needham. He contributed editorial content to publications such as French Vogue, VMAN, and Purple.
After moving to Los Angeles in 2007, California became a central motif in his photographic work and exhibitions. He also shot the cover for Lady Gaga’s 2009 album The Fame Monster.
In 2011, Slimane curated "Myths and Legends of Los Angeles," featuring Californian artists including John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, and Chris Burden at Almine Rech Gallery. His photographic installation "California Song" was showcased at MOCA Los Angeles to an audience exceeding 2,000 on opening night; the event included a live performance by No Age that Slimane filmed.
That year he also designed one of three covers for Garage magazine’s inaugural issue, founded by Dasha Zhukova.
Bibliography
- 2002 – Intermission 1, published by Charta
- 2003 – Berlin, released through Steidl/7L
- 2004 – Stage, issued by Steidl/7L
- 2005 – London Birth of A Cult, Steidl/7L edition
- 2005 – Interzone: The Hedi Slimane Book, Purple Fashion 4
- 2006 – Portrait of A Performer: Courtney Love, Visionaire bookzine
- 2007 – Catalogue for the Costa Da Caparica 1989 exhibition
- 2008 – Rock Diary, published by JRP-Ringier
- 2009 – American Youth, DVD box set, MK2
- 2011 – Anthology of A Decade, JRP-Ringier (A four-volume collection: France, UK, US, DE/RU)
Exhibitions
- 2004 – Berlin showcased at Kunstwerke, Berlin; MOMA/PS1, New York; and Koyanagi Gallery, Tokyo
- 2004 – Stage presented at Almine Rech Gallery, Paris
- 2005 – Robert Mapplethorpe, curated by Hedi Slimane, Thaddeus Ropac Gallery, Paris
- 2005 – Group exhibition Thank You For The Music, Spruth Magers Gallery, Munich
- 2006 – As Tears Go By displayed at Almine Rech Gallery, Paris
- 2006 – Group exhibition I Love My Scene, curated by Jose Freire at Mary Boone Gallery, New York
- 2006 – Portrait of A Performer featured at Galerie Gmurzynska, Zurich
- 2007 – Exhibition Costa Da Caparica at Ellipse Foundation, Lisbon
- 2007 – Group show Sweet Bird of Youth, curated by Hedi Slimane at Arndt and Partner, Berlin
- 2007 – Young American exhibited at Foam Museum, Amsterdam
- 2007 – Perfect Stranger at Almine Rech Gallery, Paris
- 2008 – MUSAC Museum of Contemporary Art, León, Spain
- 2011 – Fragments Americana presented at Almine Rech Gallery, Brussels
- 2011 – Group exhibition California Dreamin, Myths and Legends of Los Angeles, curated by Hedi Slimane at Almine Rech Gallery, Paris
- 2011 – California Song shown at MOCA, Los Angeles
- 2014 – SONIC hosted at Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, Paris