It’s also seen across bags. “We think Celine is a brand that needs to be well balanced. We’ve talked about accessories, but we pay very close attention to the prices of our bags. With everything we launch, we’re very careful to make sure it’s priced right. We have a model [for bags] that allows us to strike a balance between the two ends of the spectrum,” Merle says. Among bestsellers is the Duffle bag in canvas, priced at €1,300. “The canvas material allows us to offer highly creative bags at more affordable prices. We’re also launching lots of tote bags, because Michael has a real creative vision for totes. In fact, we saw them in the SS27 show.”

Men’s, couture and fragrance

Menswear, couture, and fragrance all launched under Slimane. Men’s represents less than 10% of the business today. “I think there’s huge potential in menswear, because Michael’s creativity now appeals to a broader audience, but the idea isn’t to increase menswear’s share of total revenue,” says Merle. The idea is for the women’s and menswear to “enrich one another”, she adds, noting they share the same design studio.

Rider debuted his Celine menswear on the runway in June. “We like the idea of holding menswear shows, because it really allows us to express the category in its own right. There have always been a few men in our womenswear shows, too, ever since Michael arrived. I think that will continue. It’s part of the magic of the show.”

Couture, meanwhile, will stay without a dedicated runway for the time being. “For now, we don’t have the capacity to put on another show. That said, we’re really working on developing couture,” says Merle. “I can’t give you any figures, but today, we have a real couture clientele that is very loyal, as well as new clients. There’s a particularly strong appetite for our couture pieces among our American clientele. Some [pieces] are occasionally taken from the runway collections, while others are specially made in our ateliers to expand the offering [while remaining faithful to the spirit of the collection].”

Desirability is built via the beauty business, too, she says. “Fragrance, and everything related to bath and body that we’ve developed, is doing very well,” Merle adds. “Today, we sell these products only through our own network, along with a few retailers such as Le Bon Marché, Harrods, and Umeda Hankyu. We’re staying within our network and at points of sale like that for the time being.”

When I point out to Merle that almost a decade is a considerable tenure, particularly in an industry that continues to undergo major leadership reshuffles, and that she has worked under three successive designers — Philo, Slimane, Rider — she replies, “I feel like it all went by in a flash.”