Celine is experienncing a surge in desirability following the appointment of Michael Rider as creative director in October 2024. Under CEO Séverine Merle, the brand is leveraging a colorful, "undone" aesthetic to grow its US presence amid a luxury spending slump in China.
How Michael Rider's 'Undone' Style is Replacing Quiet Luxury
The luxury landscape is shifting away from the sterile minimalism of "quiet luxury" toward something more expressive. michael Rider, who joined Celine in October 2024 after a previous nine-year tenure under Phoebe Philo, is leading this charge with a vision described as optimistic and joyful. According to the report, Rider's approach focuses on accumulation, layering, and monochromatic schemes, moving the house away from the Parisian rocker-glam established by his predecessor, Hedi Slimane.
This new direction is designed to feel spontaneous rather than rigid. Chief critic Sarah Mower noted the "undoneness" of the looks at the SS27 show, a sentiment Rider echoed by stating he is not "turned on" by styles that feel too stiff. For the Pembece reader, this marks a transition from the curated, untouchable vibe of the late 2010s to a more wearable, lived-in luxury that resonates with a younger, fashion-forward audience.
The €2,200 Soft Triomphe Bag and the 1,800% Search Surge
The most concrete evidence of this revival is found in the data. The Soft Triomphe Small Half Moon bag, priced at €2,200, has quickly become the brand's top-selling accessory. As the report highlights, searches for the Triomphe bag on Vestiaire Collective surged 1,800% between September and October 2026, following the SS27 show. This appetite for the brand is further reflected in Lyst's hottest brand index, where Celine climbed from No. 20 in Q1 2026 to No. 15 in Q2.
Celine is balancing this high-end desirability with more accessible entry points to widen its reach. For example, the Duffle bag in canvas is priced at €1,300, allowing the brand to maintain a presence in the "soft luxury" market. CEO Séverine Merle notes that the brand is also seeing triple-digit growth in silk scrves and double-digit growth in belts, specifically the coveted Maison Celine belt.
Expanding into Bal Harbour to Offset the Chinese Luxury Slowdown
While the brand is winning on social media and in the US, the macroeconomic climate remains volatile. Séverine Merle admits that conditions in China continue to be a challenge, prompting Celine to pivot its focus toward local customers in the US, Japan, and South Korea. To support this, the brand has aggressively expanded its American footprint, reopening on Rodeo Drive in September and opening at Aventura Mall in October, with a new location slated for Bal Harbour, Florida, by the end of the year.
This regional shift is part of a broader effort to balance the sales mix. While LVMH does not disclose individual house sales, the report mentions that the brand currently operates around 200 points of sale worldwide. The strategy is not necessarily to open more stores, but to renovate existing ones and potentially add locations dedicated specifically to footwear, which has seen double-digit growth in the US.
Why 83% of Resale Celine Still Belongs to the Phoebe Philo Era
Despite the current hype surrounding Michael Rider, the ghost of Celine's past remains a powerful market force. Data from the Paris-based resale platform ReSee shows that while vintage Celine prices have risen over 50% since Rider took over, Phoebe Philo's era still accounts for approximately 83% of the brand's resale volume. This suggests that while new collections are driving current trends, the "minimalist chic" of the 2008-2017 period remains the gold standard for archival collectors.
The Gap Between HSBC's €1.87 Billion Projection and Current Brand Heat
There is a notable tension between Celine's cultural momentum and its financial projections. According to HSBC estimates, sales declined from €2.6 billion in 2023 to a projected €1.87 billion in 2026. This decline coincides with a broader luxury slowdown, leaving CEO Séverine Merle with the difficult task of converting "brand heat" into sustainable revenue without the massive marketing budgets enjoyed by mega-brands like Louis Vuitton or Dior.
Furthermore, the brand's image is being tested by local instability. The report mentions a recent looting event at a Paris store, which forced a temporary closure. While Merle maintains that Paris is a resilient city and the brand's identity is inextricably linked to the capital, the intersection of civil unrest and a luxury slump creates an uncertain backdrop for Celine's global ambitions.
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