Following the cancellation of Celine’s show at La Gaîté Lyrique in Paris this summer, Hedi Slimane presented his SS24 menswear offering in the form of a short film. Shot across Paris and Monaco alongside a performance from ballet dancer Laudris Seidel, in the midst of it all Slimane’s collection, Delusional Daydream made its long-awaited debut.

Transporting us back to the early 2000s when Slimane documented the city’s emerging art scene – punctuated by talents such as Dan Colen, Terence Koh, Nate Lowman and Dash Snow – today Hedi revisits the creative energy emerging from the Big Apple.

Slimane is spearheading the indie revival – uncovering the next generation of artists, musicians and clubbers. Possessing a utopic sense of optimism and unique artistry, Slimane’s newcomers are ruling the Lower East Side, hopping on the L train to Brooklyn and leaving a trail of electricity in their wake.

In a continuation of the soundtrack from Celine’s SS24 women’s collection La Bibliothèque Nationale, Slimane’s menswear film delved even further into the discography of one of electronic music’s most influential artists, LCD Soundsystem. Producing an original soundtrack for the show, an extended version of James Murphy’s 2005 track Losing My Edge set the tone for a collection infused with the pulsating energy of a new wave. True to LCD’s lyrics “I’m losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered eighties,” this collection continued Slimane’s foray into the indie revival.

Backdropped by a sea of shimmering gold mirrors, models in characteristically sleek looks made their way down the runway. Slimane has reignited his love affair with a crisp white shirt and skinny black tie as suiting stood front and centre, blazers arrive adorned with rhinestones or crafted in shiny effect leather reminiscent of the designer’s early 2000s collections. Silhouettes were carved out by drainpipe skinny jeans with a subtle flare at the ankle, paired with collarless leather biker jackets encrusted with diamantés or fashioned in hues of cool grey and completed with a pair of all-black shades – the darker the lens, the better.

Exploring the art of contradiction, the satin bows and structured bustiers which offered a welcome counterpart to sharp suiting were inspired by the French 17th-century court, most notably the royal portraits of classical Baroque artist Pierre Mignard. An air of theatrics was felt in sweeping sheer capes, sequinned tops tied together by delicately ribboned bows and satin command sashes tied on the hip in extravagant balloné knots. On foot, the French house’s storied five-inch heeled Western boots arrived in iterations of snake print and glistening rhinestones accompanied by a series of newly introduced accessories including the Malaquais Cabas tote bag and Romy Bag in a signature Triomphe canvas colourway.

As LCD’s track reaches its crescendo, Slimane’s models descend on the mirrored runway for the finale and strobe lights flicker, casting shadows across faces in a manner akin to the basements of the Lower East Side where nights are hazy, the bass is thumping and Hedi Slimane found his beat.