Celine continues its “Portrait of a Performer” series with a feature from The Strokes’ lead singer Julian Casablancas.
Hedi Slimane’s vision for Celine takes inspiration from the rebellious uniform of rock music through different eras – rock’n’roll, glam, grunge, and indie. Leather jackets, skinny pants, and fitted tailoring are some of his signatures, as is a sense of cool that defies trends and pays homage to style icons of the past.
It only makes sense, then, that Celine’s ongoing “Portrait of a Performer” series captures rockstars decked out in Celine garb. Most recently, it was Julian Casablancas, frontman of American bands The Strokes and The Voidz. (The former was started in 1998, the latter in 2013.) The images were photographed by Slimane himself at LA’s Chateau Marmont, the notorious Hollywood hotel known for housing celebrity debauchery behind its secretive walls since 1929. Everyone from James Dean to Lindsay Lohan has been there, with stories ranging from decadent to downright disturbing. Reportedly, one Hollywood studio mogul told his stars: “If you must get into trouble, do so at the Marmont.”
In louche rock style, sunglasses obscure Casablancas’ eyes, and his top buttons are undone to show off stacks of necklaces. This wasn’t Celine’s only collaboration with the band and its lead singer. The Strokes also performed after the Celine women’s A/W23 show last December, alongside other famous acts: Iggy Pop, Interpol, and The Kills. Fittingly, it took place at The Wiltern, a landmark theater in Los Angeles that has staged musical legends like Prince and Amy Winehouse.
Slimane’s appreciation for rock music and its most influential players isn’t new. The series began in 2019, featuring Kevin Parker from the psychedelic band Tame Impala, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joan Jett, and Jack White of The White Stripes. Clearly dedicated to rock – Slimane even designed the stagewear for a past Joan Jett and the Blackhearts tour – Celine’s marriage of fashion and music doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
Images by Hedi Slimane.
