There's a new development in the curious case of CELINE, Hedi Slimane, and his successor.

On Wednesday, CELINE announced that Michael Rider — formerly of Polo Ralph Lauren women's — will replace Slimane, the house's freshly departed creative director.

The stage for this recent turn of events has been set for a while. Since April, insiders have speculated that Slimane would leave CELINE amid "thorny contract negotiations," according to Business of Fashion. Rider's name emerged several months ago as a likely successor — his departure from Ralph Lauren in May seemed to bolster reports that he would move to CELINE.

Rider's move to CELINE is a reunion of sorts — before joining Ralph Lauren in 2018, he served as CELINE's ready-to-wear design director under Phoebe Philo (Ms. #OldCÉLINE herself!). Rider, a graduate of Brown University, also worked as a senior designer at Balenciaga from 2004 to 2008.

"I am delighted to welcome Michael back to CELINE, a maison that he knows intimately," CELINE CEO Severine Merle told Vogue Business. "Michael’s vision, creative talent, together with his genuine nature and strong connection to CELINE's heritage make him a natural choice to continue to build a long-lasting success for the maison."

As for Slimane, it's not entirely clear where he's headed. When he left Saint Laurent in 2016, insiders speculated he would join Chanel — that never materialized, but his name is still linked to the inimitable French maison and its inimitable overseer, Karl Lagerfeld.

When Rider rejoins CELINE (his appointment takes effect in early 2025), he'll be tasked with balancing Slimane's next-gen interpretation of the house with consumer nostalgia for Philo's days — no small feat!

This article was published on May 14, 2024, and updated on October 2, 2024.