How Silk Underpins CELINE’s Dedication to Craft and Modern Elegance

There is simply no brand more adept at translating Parisian understated chic into refined and luxurious ready-to-wear and accessories than CELINE. Their latest collections by Creative Director Michael Rider embody the balanced approach of subtlety and structure that has made CELINE a staple brand for discerning men and women around the world.

Silk has been a key material for a maison with a design formula that combines structured shapes, elegant drapes and buttery materials. Recent seasons have seen silk appear in the form of scarves, limited editions of the boxy and ladylike Teen Triomphe handbag, and the new Soft Pillow tote bag, which appears in three different prints. Even jewelry is fashioned in their proprietary silk twill, chosen for its denser weave and lustrous drape.

The Spring/Summer 2026 silk offering is anchored by nine original artworks, which have been meticulously printed onto square silk scarves. A design staple for the house since the 1970s, CELINE calls on their partners in the “City of Silk”—Como, Italy—for their exquisite fabrics, and hand rolls the hems of these scarves for a luxuriously artisanal finish.

Motifs from the brand’s archives—like the “Sulky” logo (a two-wheeled, horse-drive cart and top-hatted chauffeur) which was first introduced in 1966 and revived in 2018, and the Arc de Triomphe interlocking C’s (introduced by founder Celine Vipiana and inspired by the chain links on the Paris monument)—make appearances in the silk.

A highlight of the collection is the "U.S. Mail" scarf—one of Madame Vipiana's original designs from 1966. Inspired by American postal imagery, it was created to bridge the gap between France and the United States as CELINE prepared to enter the American market. Playful and irreverent, the print returns in 2026 as a wink and a nod to the brand's transatlantic interchange. The U.S. Mail scarf will be displayed this May in New York as part of Hidden Treasures, 250 Years of Franco-American Luxury Stories, an exhibition of archival icons at The Shed. The exhibition is being hosted by Comité Colbert, the association of luxury French houses and cultural institutions.

Other squares feature swirling ribbons knotted around dried thistles and wheat, loops of leather belts and chains, and thick collegiate stripes in various iterations. On the runway, they were worn like bandannas, tucked into lapels, thrown over shoulders and waterfalling out of handbags. The effect was a polished yet youthful revision of the romantic European grande-dame.

CELINE’s evolution never strays too far from the codes of craft, quality, and savoir-faire that have come to define the house.

With their dedication to art, craft and excellence, Sotheby’s is thrilled to welcome CELINE as our presenting partner for The New York Sales in May 2026. 

The New York Sales