With the end of the summer fast-approaching, all eyes are on Hedi Slimane to see what he delivers for his debut collection at Céline.

Ahead of that, the designer took a moment to celebrate his 50th birthday with a surprise party thrown by some of his closest friends. Held at Le Palace – Paris’s version of Studio 54 – the exclusive party obviously featured some recognisable fashion faces, not to mention a cake in the shape of the iconic club’s facade. 

To celebrate Slimane’s interest in burgeoning musical talent, the party was an opportunity for some of the city’s most exciting names to take to the stage. Among them were indie duo Papooz and psych-punk rock group La Femme. There were also models like Grace Hartzel and Helena Severin (faves from his Saint Laurent days) and musicians like Lauren Auder. Unsurprisingly, everybody attending looked enviably amazing, with there apparently being a loose cowboy theme. A hint at what to expect in September maybe? 

For those who weren’t available – or, sadly not invited – Slimane helpfully posted a mammoth collection of his signature black-and-white images that he snapped on the night to his online diary – a platform he’s been adding to for years. While you count down the days until the post-show celebrations, take a look at some of the guest’s antics in the gallery above, with the full selection available here.