Celine Summer 2027: Making a Mark

Celine’s Summer 2027 show opened with a monologue by Dorian Corey from Paris Is Burning (1990), a documentary exploring the drag ballroom communities of 1980s New York:

“I always had hopes of being a big star. But as you get older, you aim a little lower. Everybody wants to make an impression, some mark upon the world. Then you think, you’ve made a mark on the world if you just get through it, and a few people remember your name. Then you’ve left a mark. You don’t have to bend the whole world. I think it’s better to just enjoy it. Pay your dues, and just enjoy it. If you shoot an arrow and it goes real high, hooray for you.”

Corey’s words have guided me since first seeing the film in my early 20s. Through life, and in particular life in the fashion industry, you question how to make your mark on the world. The heart of this quote does not lie in becoming a “star,” but  looking around you and understanding the impact of the beauty you have created for yourself — in your friendships, your work, your inner self. 

All of these emotions run through Michael Rider’s collections at Celine. The colors of Summer 2027 run from all-black to bright fuchsia satin. Men wear black ribbons around their heads, their curls running over, while women tie their braids with bows. Wardrobe staples – a blazer, a shirt – take on new emotional lives here. 

I believe the true merit of “good style” is when someone makes you want to be more like yourself, not a copy of them. That’s present here. While I personally rarely lust for designer clothes, I look for something that makes me want to explore or feel more brave. As collections veer more commercial across brands, I believe emotion and intuition is what sets Rider’s collections apart. It feels tangible. 

Paris Is Burning feels relevant today, in that each person’s search for beauty and glamour led them themselves, despite all odds. As the world seemingly gets harder and harder, I believe emotional dressing can aid us all.