ROCK NATION: Hedi Slimane’s Celine show at the legendary Le Palace theater in Paris drew a who’s who of music stars, from K-pop idol Lalisa Manobal, known as Lisa, of Blackpink to U.S. rapper Wiz Khalifa, not to mention scores of rising young musicians keen to make the scene in stage-ready outfits.
“I love it. I’ve never been here,” said Jack White, taking in the ornate theater, which gained fame as France’s answer to Studio 54 in the ’70s and ’80s. “I thought this would be great for playing here.”
Although the U.S. guitarist and singer appeared in a Celine campaign last year, he said he had never been to a fashion show. “If you’re gonna do it, do it in Paris with Hedi, right?” he said with a laugh. “He is the embodiment of rock ‘n’ roll in fashion. It seems like he really, really loves music. He doesn’t pretend to love music. It’s real. I can feel it in all the things he designs. I follow him wherever he goes.”
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It was Khalifa’s second Celine show in as many months, after attending its women’s event in Los Angeles in December. A big fan of the label, he chose a metallic tuxedo with an animal print that showed off his tattooed chest. “I just love the pattern, I love how it fits and I heard a good compliment, that it was like a subtle rock star moment,” he said.
Though he’ll be returning to the States too late to attend the Super Bowl, Khalifa will be rooting for the Eagles. “I’m from Pennsylvania, so the Steelers didn’t make it, so I gotta go for the next Pa. team, and it’s their first time so I’m really excited. I hope they bring that thing home,” he said. (Actually, it is the third time and the Eagles have won once.)
Nonetheless, he was sorry to miss Rihanna’s performance at the sports event. “I wish I could be there live. I was trying to get on a plane and go straight there just for the halftime show but I’m not gonna be able to make it,” he lamented.
The “See You Again” singer hopes to hit the road himself soon. “I’m working on a new album. It’s called ‘Wizzlemania.’ I’ve just been in the studio really hard working on that and getting a tour together. Me and Snoop Dogg are working on some things that people should be really excited about,” he teased.
Sitting next to him was Ava Phillippe, who took advantage of her stay in Paris to catch up on some culture. “I’ve been walking around the gardens, the Tuileries, Luxembourg gardens, and going to museums,” she reported. “They have the best museums in Paris.”
She looked dance-floor-ready in a black sequined dress with a white ruffle-collared shirt and black necktie. “It was so fun playing dress-up in the fitting,” she said. “Of course, I had to wear sparkles for the occasion, and then I just put this little top under it which I feel like made it more of an outfit.”
The performance continued after the show, with an after-party featuring a live performance by The Libertines, whose career Slimane has been documenting since the early Noughties. Photographers flocked to frontman Pete Doherty, who sat in the front row with his wife Katia de Vidas and his Husky dog Zeus.
The couple are gearing up for the arrival of their first child. “My wife is having a baby so I’m trying to get some pennies together so we can look after that, so I’m gonna do an intense two months of work recording and touring and then just nestle down for a couple of months with the baby,” he said.