Hedi Slimane

Hedi Slimane (born July 5, 1968) is a French photographer and fashion designer, currently the creative director of Celine—a French luxury ready-to-wear and leather goods brand owned by the LVMH group.

Slimane was born on July 5, 1968, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris to a Tunisian father, who was an accountant, and an Italian mother, a dressmaker. Two of his uncles were tailors. In his youth, he and his mother made clothes together: Slimane sketched designs, the two would shop for fabrics and complete fittings, and his mother would cut and sew them. He considered finding a career in the Fashion industry as too competitive, instead, he studied Political Science and pursued a career in Journalism. At 11, he discovered photography, received his first camera, and learned black-and-white darkroom printing. He studied Art History at the École du Louvre and completed a tailor apprenticeship at a men's designer house.

From 2000 to 2007, he was the creative director for Dior Homme (the menswear line of Christian Dior). From 2012 to 2016, he was the creative director for Yves Saint Laurent.

In January 2018, LVMH named Hedi Slimane as Celine's Artistic, Creative, and Image Director, set to join the house on February 1. Slimane created his retail flagship concept stores in Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, and London. He replaced the brand's traditional style with his personal signature "driven by youth culture, indie rock, and sulking adolescence."