Celine Spring/Summer 2027 Makes the Case for Clothes With Feeling

Today’s Celine spring/summer 2027 show at the National Archives in the Marais opened with a little black dress. A deceptively simple first look, cut with a plunging V-neck and a not-too-defined hourglass waist, it set the tone for Michael Rider’s collection, which, as he put it, let “clothes just do their job.”

The lineup had something for everyone, from the chic Parisian to the more eccentric woman. Rider described the idea as “emotional dressing,” explaining in the show notes that he wanted to convey “a sense of calm when you need it. Otherwise, loads of the energy we get from each other.”

The variation in proportions and the clever styling kept the collection from settling into one mood. Trousers came in every shape, from narrow chinos to balloon silhouettes, including patterned, pleated styles and a printed gaucho-style pair that evoked luxe sweatpants.

The preppy stylings of Rider’s first few Celine collections took a back seat to a more layered, metropolitan way of getting dressed. There were still nods to the house’s past, though, like a butter-yellow sheath dress with a faded, scarf-esque print.

There’s an eclectic spirit to Rider’s Celine, but one that doesn’t feel manufactured for the runway. The collection leaned into foundational pieces (a sharp leather jacket, a great suit coat with pronounced shoulders) alongside more idiosyncratic touches, like an extra-large floral patchwork bag tucked under the arm or strands of long beaded necklaces.

Rider leaned into evening wear proportions more than in his past collections, with a steady stream of LBDs and, among the highlights, a beaded micro dress that announced itself with a “clang” as it walked. Worn with a jazz shoe or a trench coat, however, these dressier pieces didn’t feel like outliers in the Celine woman’s wardrobe.

Phoebe Philo, under whom Rider first worked at the brand, famously designed for the female gaze with clothes that were intellectual and quietly sensual, but practical enough for the realities of the everyday. Rider is picking up that thread in his own way: “unencumbered [and] unfussed,” as he put it.