With the news breaking earlier today that Hedi Slimane is set to leave Celine, the wheels have already been set in motion for his replacement. Michael Rider, who up until May was the creative director of Polo Ralph Lauren, is the new creative director of Celine.

Rider’s appointment hasn’t come out of nowhere. From 2008 to 2018, Rider was the ready-to-wear design director at Celine under Phoebe Philo. So, this promotion acts as something of a homecoming for the designer. Prior to Celine, Rider was a senior designer at Balenciaga.

Michael Rider said in an official statement: “Celine is a maison with values very close to my heart and a beautiful heritage to build on. I am honoured to come back and shape the future of the maison together with the Celine team.”

We cannot know what Rider’s Celine will look like, but it will be fascinating to see how he bridges the worlds of Hedi Slimane and his former boss Phoebe Philo. His first collection for Celine will debut, hopefully, in early 2025.