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LVMH fashion label Celine canceled its menswear show scheduled for Sunday in Paris as riots and looting continue in France.
“A fashion show in Paris, while France and its capital are bereaved and bruised, seem from my own point of view, inconsiderate and totally out of place,” designer Hedi Slimane said in an Instagram post on Saturday, adding that safety for the brand’s staff and the show’s guests was the priority.
The Spring-Summer 2024 menswear collection in central Paris and an after-party were both canceled, a Celine representative said. Other fashion shows scheduled during Haute Couture week which starts Monday, including those by Christian Dior and Chanel, had not been canceled as of June 30, according to a representative for the organizer, Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.
President Emmanuel Macron postponed a long-planned state visit to Germany as France braced for a potential fifth night of riots and looting triggered by the police killing of a teenager. On Friday he left a summit of European Union leaders early to return home, only to face another night of violence that led to more than 1,300 arrests.
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The Celine brand has experienced significant commercial success under Slimane, and is often highlighted by LVMH Chief Executive Officer Bernard Arnault in analyst calls.
Although the luxury conglomerate doesn’t tend to disclose financial performance by brand, Arnault said Celine crossed the €2 billion ($2.18 billion) sales mark last year. Revenue for Louis Vuitton, LVMH’s biggest label, came in above €20 billion during the same period.
By Angelina Rascouet
Learn more:
French Protestors Target LVMH Headquarters in Paris
In April, protestors taking the streets against the French government’s plan to raise the retirement age entered the group’s headquarters, calling for companies and the rich to contribute more to finance pensions.
Disclosure: LVMH is part of a group of investors who, together, hold a minority interest in The Business of Fashion. All investors have signed shareholders’ documentation guaranteeing BoF’s complete editorial independence.
