Michael Rider’s Spring/Summer 2026 show for Celine unfolded in Parc de Saint-Cloud, just beyond Paris - a setting that traded the city’s noise for soft air, sunlight, and open greenery with beautiful fountains. It was a reminder that Celine doesn’t need spectacle to command attention - its quiet precision is its power.

Rider has injected joy back into the French maison that was, under Hedi Slimane’s reign, dark, ultra mini, a new chasseur jacket every season and to a degree, repetetive. Rider’s tailoring stayed disciplined – sharp, oversized blazers, clean trousers - but eased by motion and texture: silk polos that moved with the body, scarves that doubled as fluid accents, poplin shirts with drape details, and separates that felt confident without shouting.

The tension between structure and softness anchored the collection.

Crisp suiting was lightened by scarf collars, while baby-doll dresses brushed against masculine outerwear. Signature floral prints and embellished details appeared on boucle dresses and silk layers, giving a sense of nostalgia with a new modern touch.

Accessories kept things grounded: supple handbags slung low, pared-back jewellery, and the season’s most unexpected touch - logoed helmets, sleek and utilitarian in spirit.

Staged beneath the shifting daylight and leafy shade, the show captured something essential about Rider’s Celine: clothes meant to move, to exist in light and air. SS26 wasn’t about reinvention but evolution. Yet again, Michael Rider leaves us thoroughly inspired.