The sheer volume of designer debuts at fashion houses in the past year has numbed us to their complexity. Striking the delicate balance between creative and commercial success is difficult enough without the first-day-of-school trauma response. And yet, that’s just what Michael Rider had to do for Celine Spring 2026, as daunting as following in the footsteps of Phoebe Philo and Hedi Slimane, two of the last decade’s most celebrated designers, might be.

For anyone else, this debut would have been an impossible undertaking. But if Rider has a harder job than most, he also has a clear advantage. For ten years, the American designer worked under Philo as her design director. Of course, because of it, keyboard critics flagged his homecoming as a possible return to the golden era. The hope is understandable—we all follow and thirst over @oldceline on Instagram.

In the Spring 2026 collection, allusions to Philo’s reign at Celine were expressed in a thematic proclivity for scarves and nipped-in tailoring. The latter was recognizable in the first look, but more interestingly explored in longer jackets that extended to the upper thigh. While Rider made sure to acknowledge Philo’s contributions to Celine’s language, his vocabulary reached far beyond it. Most looks were accompanied by circulation-defying skinny jeans—a Slimane signature.

Cropped leather jackets with oversized shoulders hint Rider’s earlier stint at Balenciaga working alongside Nicolas Ghesquière, as did billowing trench coats belted at the hip. All roads have led to Spring 2026. His previous role as creative director at Polo Ralph Lauren is equally apparent. An almost comical preppiness drowns the models’ bodies in knee-length ribbed polos. The tight argyle jumper that follows them serves as a whimsical contrast.

Even if Rider’s inspirations are easy to spot, the signature lightheartedness with which he combines them is admirable. In a belted leather jacket, a simple charm bracelet takes over the whole arm, jingling down the runway. So did necklaces and bracelets that turned tangled jewelry nightmares into maximalist accessories. Elsewhere, a thick fringed dress is remarkable in its structure and becomes much more interesting upon closer inspection, revealing the Celine tags it is entirely composed of. If logomania must return, let it be this campy.

Rider understands leather goods as a pillar of connection with his audience. Flat monogrammed totes were different enough to signal a change while maintaining loyalty to Celine aficionados, whose hearts all surely fluttered at the sight of the Phantom Luggage Bags reissue. Even if modified, squished to fit modern East-West sensibilities, their presence indicates that Rider understands what the client wants and knows how to deliver it. His predecessor’s success went beyond the commercial viability of skinny jeans and flattering tailoring. Dedicated Philo and Slimane fan club pages laud an ability to translate fashion into community. Rider studied the success of those who came before him. Even if in a much sunnier way, he, too, is designing to signal collective identity. Come October, the newly appointed designer will present the second half of his debut, Summer 2026, and take a seat among his peers in the ready-to-wear calendar. With the first-day blues out of the way, he moves forward with the confidence that, more than knowing what he’s doing, he knows where he’s going.