Show review in a sentence: Michael Rider injects Celine with beatnik cool, where sharp tailoring, trinkets and a revived peplum capture the restless energy of the Left Bank.
Designer: Michael Rider
Location: l’Institut de France
“This is the chicest show you will ever see,” exclaimed a showgoer as the audience trickled in for Michael Rider’s fall/winter 2026 Celine show. Towering smoke-toned speakers framed a stark white runway as people craned their necks to catch a glimpse of Suzy Bae arriving. Since Rider took the helm, there has been a palpable energy around the brand and you could see it on most guests in the room: ankle-length trenches cut through with flashes of silk colour, sharply cropped blazers and plenty of trinkets—charm necklaces and emblem belts sparkling everywhere.
That same buzz carried onto the runway. Rider tapped into a beatnik spirit this season with lean silhouettes, a touch of rebellion and a certain intellectual cool. It brought to mind the Left Bank poets of the 1950s: black layers, sharp tailoring and effortless nonchalance worn with attitude. The peplum, which has been quietly returning on several runways this season, stood out immediately. Then came the belts, worn every which way: high under the bust, layered over skirts and trousers, or in the classic Celine style, slim and statement-making.
Heavy chainmail dresses rattled beneath lush coats. Leopard print made another appearance this week, also seen at Givenchy, sometimes jolted with flashes of red, while scarves wrapped tightly at the neck echoed the cocooning instinct we saw at Loewe. A small detail I loved: feathers tucked into the hair of the male models.
And of course, the bags will always win me over. The classic Triomphe returned alongside a new elongated silhouette, longer than the east–west bag. I suspect we may be looking at another (several) It bags in the making.
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