After their surprise Instagram announcement and a week of waiting, Celine held their virtual fashion show in Monaco this afternoon. Just as fashion fanatics thought the Spring 2021 fashion season was over, the French house revealed next season’s looks.

The runway opens with an overhead drone shot of Monaco’s city center and then zooms into a desolate stadium where Celine models walk on a striking red track. Here, fashion arrives in elegant fabrications: cool leather jackets, breathable windbreakers, and slip-on sundresses. Creative director Hedi Slimane’s trademark skinny silhouette evolves into relaxed joggers, something more in tune with the current reality. Look after look projects a layer of “effortless chic” from the printed hoodies to the dark sunglasses. The sophisticated nuance was not lost in the details. If Slimane is sending us any message with this collection, it is the importance of a versatile baseball cap, which can be paired with any look.

In more ways than one, Slimane celebrates updated youth codes with this collection as he did with Dancing Kid. Aiming to paint a portrait of this generation, his clothes evoke this youthful vibrance and a fresh sense of optimism amongst this new generation. Kaia, a symbol of youth herself, graces the runway in a fitted leather jacket, white sports bra, and Celine’s classic black low boots. Fashion aside, Slimane commissioned Princess Nokia to create the soundtrack for his fashion show. Princess Nokia — native New Yorker and rap powerhouse — made an extended version of her hit single “I Like Him,” a song that’s been streamed over 61 million times on Spotify. Her electric beats and deep bass provided new youthful energy that shifted the French house’s classic Parisian aesthetics.

Slimane’s collection balances the grey area between evolution versus regression. To that end, Celine Spring evolves successfully. While the French blazer was always central, Slimane made some other stylistic changes. Slimane has not shown one pair of shorts on his runaways since 2002, yet in this collection, a model in a navy windbreaker and cropped graphic tee flashes some denim shorts. Historically, youth codes have provided the heartbeat that ignites Slimane’s creativity; the same heartbeat can be said in Celine’s Spring 2021 collection.