Hedi Slimane Explores The French Renaissance For Celine's F/W '21

The latest Celine’s Menswear Fall 2021 Collection, “Teen Knight Poem,” is nestled in fantasy. It’s darkly beautiful, rich and expensive, filled with moody princes in ink-black leathers, wind-swept hair, singular silver earrings dangling from the ears of the models. It’s perfect precisely because it’s a world away from this one, superbly articulated in the virtual fashion show Celine released.

Filmed at the Château de Chambord, a gorgeous 15th-century castle in France, the models stride across the balcony in custom looks fit for a sulky prince. The collection was released in a short film titled, Nouveau Romantique. We agree - silver, chunky, Cuban link necklaces on top of delicate, frilled white collars or plush sweaters is a romantic play between hard and soft.

Celine Menswear Fall 2021 maintains the identity of the house. The latest collection is armored streetwear, edgy and expensive (and mostly black). But the short film adds another layer onto the clothing, we see the dignity of the knights in question, the opulence of the castle, the perfectly cast models who slink across the balcony with a devil-may-care attitude.

This collection is indeed poetic because a story is being told. The mood is set. The characters shimmer with mystery and intrigue. The setting provides lush detail.

Celine does right by the newly formed genre of virtual fashion shows and takes the medium to new heights in Nouveau Romantique. It’s no wonder that Creative Director for Celine, Hedi Slimane, is also a photographer. The looks are nothing short of cinematic against the renaissance chateau.