Celine
LVMH · France
Celine is a Paris luxury house founded in 1945 by Céline and Richard Vipiana as a children's shoe business and owned by LVMH since 1996. Shaped by Phoebe Philo and Hedi Slimane, it is now designed by Michael Rider, who joined in 2025, and run by chief executive Séverine Merle.
| Founded | 1945, Paris |
|---|---|
| Founders | Céline and Richard Vipiana |
| Owner | LVMH (since 1996) |
| Headquarters | 16 rue Vivienne, Paris |
| CEO | Séverine Merle (since 2017) |
| Creative director | Michael Rider (since 2025) |
| Website | celine.com |
What is Celine?
Celine is a French luxury brand selling ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes and accessories for women and men. It belongs to LVMH and has been led by chief executive Séverine Merle since 2017. American designer Michael Rider, named in October 2024, has been creative director since early 2025.
History
Céline Vipiana and her husband Richard founded the company in Paris in 1945 as a made-to-measure children's shoe business. In the 1960s it moved into ready-to-wear and leather goods for Parisian women, and in 1973 it introduced the interlinked C logo. Bernard Arnault invested in 1987 and LVMH acquired the company in 1996. Michael Kors designed from 1997 to 2003, and Phoebe Philo's tenure from 2008 to 2018 made Celine a byword for modern minimalism. Hedi Slimane, creative director from 2018 to 2024, changed the logo and added menswear, couture and fragrance.
Products and positioning
Celine is a luxury brand whose commercial core is leather goods and handbags, supported by ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories. Its image has alternated between quiet, design-led womenswear and a sharper, rock-influenced aesthetic, and Rider's appointment brought back a designer who had worked at Celine under Philo.
Business model and distribution
The brand sells through a network of directly operated boutiques, which LVMH puts at 178 stores worldwide, along with its own e-commerce and selected department stores. LVMH reports around 2,500 employees and four collections a year. The headquarters is at 16 rue Vivienne in Paris.
Under Slimane the house also expanded into fragrance and a broader men's offer, both of which continue under Rider.
Why it matters
Celine shows how a mid-sized maison can be repositioned by successive creative directors while protecting a strong leather goods franchise. Each designer change at the house has been closely watched as a signal for wider shifts in luxury taste.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Celine?
Celine is owned by LVMH, which acquired the company in 1996. It is part of the group's fashion and leather goods division.
Who is Celine's creative director?
Michael Rider is Celine's creative director. He was announced in October 2024, succeeding Hedi Slimane, and joined in early 2025 after working at Celine under Phoebe Philo and later at Polo Ralph Lauren.
