Michael Rider, Celine's Artistic Director, Wins WWD Menswear Designer of the Year

Michael Rider, the artistic director of Celine, has been named the 2026 WWD Honor for Menswear Designer of the Year. The award was reported by WWD, the New York-based fashion trade publication, on 27 October 2026.

Celine is a French luxury label, owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the Paris group that also owns Dior and Louis Vuitton. The house was founded in 1945 by Céline Vipiana and began with shoes. LVMH has owned it since 1996, and Michael Kors led it until 2004.

Rider was appointed creative director of Celine in October 2024. He succeeded Hedi Slimane, who introduced menswear at the house when he joined in 2018. Rider had worked at Celine before. From 2008 to 2018 he was design director of ready-to-wear, the clothes sold off the peg, under Phoebe Philo. He joined the house again from the women's department of Polo Ralph Lauren, the American label.

Speaking to WWD, Rider described his fall 2026 menswear presentation as "Classics with bite." He uses the phrase "Character over costume" to describe how he approaches design. As of the interview, he had staged one dedicated runway show for men at Celine. A runway show is the formal catwalk presentation that opens a season.

Celine has also presented Rider's womenswear and menswear ready-to-wear through the year. The house said its Spring 2026 collection marked "a new chapter," which it called "a clear-eyed take on the Parisian dream." Spring 2026 and Winter 2026 both included men's ready-to-wear, the collections the house sells in shops.

The prize is one of several WWD gives each year to people in the business, and it recognises work on the men's side of fashion. For Celine, it adds a public mark to a menswear line that has been part of the house since Slimane's arrival eight years ago. For the fashion trade, it is a reminder that the people who design a collection often have long, varied careers before they reach the top job.