Naomi Watts, Alanis Morissette, and Kristen Wiig Sit Front Row At Michael Rider’s First Celine Paris Runway Show

Alanis Morissette and Kristen Wiig at the Celine Spring 2026 Paris Fashion Week show | Photo Credit: Celine

Hedi Slimane was known for his retro 70s vibe when he was creative director, and he didn’t stray from that aesthetic. Michael Rider is now chief designer of the House, he’s American, and his signature style when at Balenciaga was all about layers and oversized proportions. He also did stints at Ralph Lauren and was previously at Celine under Phoebe Philo. Now he’s back and his style yesterday at Celine’s Paris show was quintessentially Parisian simplicity with fine tooth tailoring, preppy style, and yet, he brought in oversized proportions to the collection. Where Slimane was stuck in the 70s, Rider has brought us up a decade to the 80s.

Naomi Watts | Photo Credit: Celine

Actress Naomi Watts turned up to watch Kai Schreiber walk in the show. Wearing a white A-line dress that flowed to the ground, Kai exuded an air of mystery with her straw bucket hat and sunglasses. Also attending were Lebanese film director Nadine Lebaki, actress Kristen Wiig, singer Alanis Morisette, South Korean actor Park Bo-gum, and comedian Ramy Youssef.

“Coming back to Celine, and to Paris, back to 16 rue Vivienne in a changed world, has been incredibly emotional for me. And a complete joy,” said Rider in collection notes. “Celine stands for quality, for timelessness and for style, ideals that are difficult to catch, and even harder to hold on to, to define, despite more and more talk about them out there.”

Outerwear is in | Photo Credit: Celine

Outerwear is in, blazers are in. There were a number of loose-fitting and fitted blazers, reminiscent of the 80s. Matched with silk scarves and the parachute pleated high waist pants from the era. Rider also did loose blazer styles for men and double-breasted jackets for men, both long and knee-length. Bomber jackets are mixed in as well. The oversized shaggy fur jacket adds some drama and lookback nod to the era.

“We worked on translating them into a way of dressing – that attitude, or attitudes, that we feel describe who we are and what we stand for. I’ve always loved the idea of clothing that lives on, that becomes a part of the wearer’s life, that may capture a moment in time but also speaks to years and years of gestures and occasions and change, of the past, the present and the future, of memories, of usefulness and of fantasy, of life really,” continues Rider.  

The House’s Creative Director Michael Rider is all about the details | Photo Credit: Celine

The handbags are shapely with some also oversized and flamboyant like the silhouettes. Smaller leather clutches, midsized leather bags with inspiration from the archives, cross body creations, and raffia bags- there’s something for everyone. What is most eye catching for us in terms of the shoes are the ankle boots with the brand’s name cascading down the front. There’s something 1920’s Ganger Spats, you know the ones with the white spat covers, about them.

Overall, the collection is purposed, the looks are in line with the sophistication that led Céline Vipiana to found the House, the style is Paris chic and also timeless.