1945–1960s
From shoes to a wardrobe
The Paris business expanded from made-to-measure children’s footwear into women’s shoes, accessories and clothing. Practical elegance became a recurring thread.
The House & Its Designers
Celine
Paris · 1945
Parisian leather goods, shaped by distinct creative eras.
Céline and Richard Vipiana began with children’s shoes. The house grew into a wardrobe and leather-goods business whose most influential chapters offer quite different ideas of everyday elegance.
15 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
2008–2018
Phoebe Philo’s Celine
Philo’s precise, useful clothes developed alongside bags such as the Luggage and Trio. Proportion, material and the needs of the wearer drove the design.
2018–2024
Hedi Slimane’s interpretation
Slimane brought rock references and a renewed focus on Parisian bourgeois dress. The Triomphe emblem became a central feature of the accessories.
2025
Michael Rider’s debut
Rider’s first Celine collection appeared in July 2025, drawing on a house he knew from his earlier work under Philo.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
Appointed 2008; departure announced 2017
Phoebe Philo
Made thoughtful proportions and practical leather goods central to the house.
2018–2024
Hedi Slimane
Emphasised slim silhouettes, music and the Triomphe motif.
Debut 2025
Michael Rider
Returned to Celine after earlier work in its design studio.
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
01
Luggage Tote
Winged sides, curved seams and a front zip pocket define this Phoebe Philo-era tote.
02
Trio
Three zipped pouches form a compact, understated crossbody bag.
03
Trapeze
A structured flap contrasts with wide folding side panels.
04
Belt Bag
Knotted straps extend across the front of this softly structured top-handle bag.
05
Ava
A compact crescent shoulder bag with a short strap.
06
Cabas Phantom
An open leather tote with side ties and minimal decoration.
07
Tabou
A rounded flap and small padlock detail give this shoulder bag its character.
08
Big Bag
An oversized leather day bag with a belted opening.
09
Romy
A soft, curved shoulder bag with understated hardware.
More designs to know
- Triomphe
- A box-shaped shoulder bag fastened with Celine’s linked Triomphe emblem.
- Celine 16
- A structured top-handle bag named for the house’s rue Vivienne address.
- Classic Box
- A restrained flap shoulder bag associated with the Phoebe Philo years.
- Conti
- A supple top-handle design with a clean, elongated profile.