Everything you need to know about Michael Rider

Two days ago, just a few hours after the announcement that Hedi Slimane would be leaving the creative direction of Celine, the brand's new designer, Michael Rider, was announced. He will begin working for the maison in 2025, but it will not be his first time in the atelier: the designer worked for the maison for ten years, holding the role of design director of ready-to-wear during the artistic tenure of Phoebe Philo. Rider's past suggests that the brand's future collections will not stray too far from the maison's heritage, or perhaps they will: after graduating from the American university Brown, before working alongside Philo, Rider worked as a senior designer for Balenciaga during the time of Nicolas Ghesquière, and in 2018 he returned to the United States to take on the creative direction of Polo Ralph Lauren, a position he held until last spring.  

For Rider, re-entering the world of Celine means a lot. «Celine is a maison with values very close to my heart and a beautiful heritage to build on», the designer said regarding the appointment. According to the company's CEO, choosing a creative director who was well acquainted with the brand was no coincidence. As stated by Severine Merle, his intimate vision of the brand will help him continue the success that Celine is already enjoying. «Michael’s vision, creative talent, together with his genuine nature and strong connection to Celine’s heritage make him a natural choice to continue to build a long-lasting success for the maison». Indeed, the task Rider will have once he enters the atelier will not be to revive the company, but to maintain its high standing: according to results provided by LVMH in recent years, Slimane's artistic direction has often contributed to sales increases, with an estimated $2.6 billion in revenue for 2023 alone. The role Rider will take on next January will be quite challenging, but the works he produced during the ten years under Philo's guidance - which have resurfaced online in recent days - show that he will be more than capable, much to the delight of the Philophile cult. 

Although the style that Phoebe Philo introduced to Celine during her artistic tenure cannot be called preppy, but rather a sober and intellectual elegance - which, in hindsight, we could say has influenced the vast majority of the most beloved luxury brands today - Rider's latest designs have a marked tendency for American preppy, but perhaps only because they belonged to Polo Ralph Lauren. As head of the brand, the designer revitalized the ready-to-wear line with fresh collections, strongly focused on new generations while still directed towards an old-school American aesthetic. The possibilities for his Celine direction are endless: he could return to the strong dedication to the arts that Philo preserved, leverage quiet luxury as seen at Polo Ralph Lauren, or perhaps begin to contribute to the universe Slimane built for the brand, revealing his grunge side. With sky-high expectations on all fronts, we are sure the result will be an unmissable spectacle.