The Alaïa versus Celine drama of the past few weeks came to an unexpected, not-so-funny ending when Celine decided to cancel its menswear show on July 2 due to protests in Paris, ignited by the death of a teenager last Tuesday at the hands of the police. “Having to abruptly cancel a show, which represents considerable work for the couture house, my teams and the workshops, is a disappointment,” designer Hedi Slimane wrote in French on Instagram. “A fashion show in Paris… seems, from my sole point of view, inconsiderate…”
Of course, Celine can afford such a sidestep—and more importantly, the show was taking place in Saint-Denis, a suburb, where the protests were more intense. Some other small events were canceled, and the big groups had considered canceling everything, according to my sources in Paris.
