Celine store in Munich: where brutalism meets natural materials

DThe floors are made from Italian Basaltina natural stone slabs, the wall displays are a mix of glass and steel, and between them are seating areas with heavy wooden tables, bedside tables with books and vintage white fur armchairs. A spiral staircase in white arabescato marble, flanked by vertical mirrors and neon lighting, leads to the second floor, where ready-to-wear clothing and shoes can be found.

The 300 square meter store features the entire brand portfolio. In addition to ready-made clothing for women, these include: shoes, bags, perfumes, accessories and interior items. For the first time, Celine World now occupies three floors instead of two. From now on, the menswear launched by Slimane when he joined Celine in 2019 is now available exclusively at the Munich store. For this purpose, the basement with a historical brick vaulted ceiling, which previously served as a warehouse, was completely rebuilt. Here, as on the other two floors, there are always islands of calm with vintage items and furniture created by the designer.

According to a company representative, Hedi Slimane’s goal is to combine the influence of brutalism with natural materials and thus create an attractive contrast. Scattered throughout the floors are paintings by contemporary artists, which are exhibited in various Celine stores around the world, and now in Munich as part of the Celine Art Project.

The combination of fashion, art and furniture plays an important role in Hedi Slimane’s retail concept because, in addition to his passion for music, the Frenchman is also known for his interest in architecture, art and interiors.

Update your brand’s visual identity

The store’s design reflects his preference for clean lines and a minimalist aesthetic. The redesign of Celine’s stores is the final step in a complete overhaul of the brand’s visual identity, from the logo to the name it slimmed down in one of its first moves.

The 55-year-old Frenchman with Italian-Tunisian roots leaves nothing to chance. He even personally decides what music can be played in stores. Hedi Slimane is considered an uncompromising and confrontational man who had little use for the subtle intellectual style of his predecessor Phoebe Philo. But with his straightforward, sometimes radical style, he has already rejuvenated the Saint Laurent and Dior brands and made a particular impression on the millennial generation. He is considered the inventor of the size zero, for whom Karl Lagerfeld starved himself for the sake of thin Dior suits in order to lose 40 kilograms.

Celine is owned by the world’s largest luxury group LVMH, which had sales of almost 79 billion euros in 2022, according to trade magazine TextilWirtschaft. According to the head of LVMH Bernard Arnault, Celine’s cost exceeded two billion euros.