For Michael Rider, returning to CELINE after almost a decade away wasn’t about spectacle. His debut, shown at CELINE’s Parisian headquarters on Rue Vivienne, resisted the shock tactics that often accompany a changing of the guard, creatively speaking. Instead, it unfolded as a new-season collection distilled from decades of lived-in clothing, where American preppy classics, Parisian tailoring, and subtle nods to past CELINE eras were layered into something cohesive and comforting.

The bones of the collection were familiar — and deliberately so. Oversized rugby shirts, marled sweaters, striped ties, and rounded denim jeans recalled Rider’s years at Polo Ralph Lauren, reframed with a French refinement. Pinched-waist blazers with broad shoulders and fluid trench coats nodded toward the minimalism of his former mentor, Phoebe Philo. And elsewhere, riffs on cigarette trousers, skinny jeans, and silk foulards acknowledged Hedi Slimane’s years at the house.

But Rider wasn’t recycling. This was a collection about continuity, not nostalgia. “I've always loved the idea that clothing lives on," he wrote in a letter about the collection. "CELINE stands for quality, for timelessness, and for style, ideals that are difficult to catch, and even harder to hold onto, to define, despite more and more talk about them out there. We worked on translating them into a way of dressing — that attitude, or attitudes, that we feel describe who we are and what we stand for."

This foundation showed in silhouettes: relaxed, slightly oversized, anchored by proportion. Broad shoulders and tailored waists hinted at the power dressing of the ’80s, balanced by softer shapes and fluid movement. Moments of handwork and detail were also emphasised, from denim delicately embroidered with tiny flowers, to pockets lined with an assortment of dangling gold trinkets and chains.

Accessories helped bring the message sharply into focus. Silk scarves — the same kind used as the runway’s canopy and even sent as show invites — appeared en masse, either slung casually at the neck or knotted under shirt collars. Gold jewellery was stacked and layered without restraint. Bags were oversized and practical, often paired with similarly large bag charms. And jackets and outerwear were slung under models' arms, or tied haphazardly around waists, blurring the line between practicality and styling.

Michael Rider’s return to CELINE isn’t about reinvention. It’s about clothes that live — pieces shaped by time, by the wearer, and by life itself. As he wrote, clothing captures “gestures and occasions and change.” This collection is exactly that: designed to be worn, remembered, and returned to.