Indie Sleaze has been a burgeoning phenomenon in the peripheries of the trend cycle for the better part of a year now. Existing on the fringes of fashion and amongst TikTok trend predictors, Hedi Slimane, the king of Indie himself, has announced its return in recent Celine collections, and for Celine Winter 23, Slimane has cemented his mission for a revival.

Titling the collection The Age of Indieness, the show took place at the Los Angeles Wiltern Theatre and marked Slimane's return to California since he left the city in 2020. Set against the backdrop of the White Stripes Hello Operator blaring as Slimane's indie sleaze army took over the iconic theatre with a sparkling, lit up Celine logo in the background. There were ultra skinny jeans paired with thick, bronze buckle belts, sequin leggings and leather sprayed on trousers paired with military capes and tall heeled boots.

It was quite an incredible throwback as far as revivals go. Flouncy sequin mini dresses were layered with neck scarves and waistcoats; there were ruffled blouses underneath expertly tailored jackets that harked back to the "business casual" phase of the early 2010s, and felted fedora hats that made up only a fraction of the precise references of the era, like tall fringed boots and mini dresses that were belted at the hip instead of the waist a la Kate Mosses iconic 2005 Glastonbury look. Accessories followed the same theme, offering gigantic bags that sat in the crooks of models arms – an idea that Slimane toyed with in his Celine Spring 23 collection too.

As the collection progressed, we were plunged further into Slimane's natural habitat of design. Men's looks were streamlined, all black ensembles of leather and sharply tailored wool, while women's took shape as sparkly little dresses paired with stompy flat boots and the brands signature dark cat eye sunglasses before opening up to a closing collection of evening gowns, all shimmering in the light for a dose of Hollywood glamour.

It's interesting, as with any nostalgic trend, to revisit indie sleaze's place in the current fashion climate since its roots are so tied to the kind of music that was popular back in the early 2010s, so it will be interesting to see how it evolves in the digital age, but if Hedi Slimane is leading the charge, you can expect us to follow.

See our collection highlights, below.