October 1, 2025 |
“All things in the past are dying,” René Célestin tells me over a video call from his office in Paris. “I’ve never been a big believer in, ‘And now, ladies and gentlemen, here’s René, who’s going to tell you about everything he’s done for the past 25 years.’” His tone is matter of fact and his delivery is concise – bolstered by a confident assertion that forward is always the best direction. He’s harnessed that ethos to build an impressive career, marked this year by the 25th anniversary of OBO, the creative studio and production agency he leads, which is responsible for creating the sort of spectacles that stick to the memory as if they’ve been superglued.
For a little context (perhaps to Célestin’s dismay), glittering Victoria’s Secret fashion shows between 2006 and 2017, L’Oréal’s Le Défilé showcases and catwalks for brands like Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, The Row and Elie Saab all feature in OBO’s bulging portfolio. Beyond the company’s visual impact, however, its events can also position brands as key players in the zeitgeist.
The Victoria’s Secret shows, for instance, certainly contributed to elevating models like Adriana Lima and the Hadid sisters to global fame. And for the last seven years, L’Oréal has used its stadium-sized Le Défilé show to echo broader conversations about female empowerment and diversity, uniting figures including Helen Mirren and Kendall Jenner in bold, celebratory spectacles. And that’s not to mention Charles Jeffrey’s 10th anniversary Loverboy show at Somerset House last June, a celebration of London’s riotous spirit that lit up the catwalk. If you want a part in the cultural conversation, as well as to put on one hell of a show, Célestin’s is the number you call.
Célestin started his journey in New York in 2000, before setting up offices in Paris soon after and London in 2014. This history has given him a unique perspective on why events have become the go-to foghorn for spreading a brand’s message. “We’re all experiencing a kind of indigestion,” he says of the algorithms that drown us in new content every day. “Most people probably want less of that and more warmth and interpersonal connection.”
OBO’s founder René Célestin has been masterminding fashion spectacles for 25 years
According to Célestin, the increased use of the term ‘luxury’ has rendered it hollow and meaningless, with more people wanting to experience their luxury nowadays rather than just be told about it. “When you first learn the word ‘luxury’, there’s a sense of rarity and profundity – things that are very immaterial and very personal,” he says. “You can apply that to a sweater you buy, to a wellness retreat you participate in… There’s an expectation that comes with the word. Unless there’s an experience that is in large parts immaterial, you’re probably not feeling, smelling or hearing the luxury.”
Feeling, smelling and hearing the luxury is not hard to do when it comes to an OBO event. Frankly, the luxury conks you on the head even when, like me, you’ve only watched things unfurl on a screen. Célestin has thought all this through, of course. “We want to translate that feeling to someone on the other side of the world, watching on an iPad, in the same way the person in the room experiences it.” A quick scroll through OBO’s website confirms that in this process of translation, little is lost. With Célestin as the conductor, every detail – lights, set design, music, location, seating and more – harmonise with each other to create an experience that is completely engulfing. OBO wants to baptise guests in the world of a brand, leaving them no choice but to convert.
How does he go about ensuring that these events have the wow factor? “I imagine myself as a guest,” Célestin says. “I arrive – what do I see? How does it feel? A great event means having a moment that leaves a lasting impression. And that could come from anything: the calm of the atmosphere, the rhythm of the show, a surprising colour palette. There’s no fixed formula. It’s more like theatre – you can’t always explain why something moved you, but you know it did.”
What’s endearing about Célestin’s practice is that the ethos stays the same, regardless of how big or small the client is. Industry titans like Armani, Burberry and Bvlgari don’t receive a better service than that given to the promising upstarts at Institut Français de la Mode in Paris, where OBO helps put on the graduate show. In fact, he prefers it when the purse strings are tighter. “It’s easy to fall into the trap of saying, ‘If only we had more money, we could…’ But that’s not the point. What are we doing with what we have that will be memorable?” When I ask about whether smaller budgets force him to be more creative, he opts to flip the question on its head. “When we get a big budget, our biggest concern is are we still being creative enough?”
The passion with which Célestin speaks about the creative side of his business almost makes you forget what a logistical nightmare putting on a massive event must be. Like a plate spinner at the circus, he balances the desires of the client with the experience of the attendee, all the while inspecting the fine print as much as he envisions the big picture. And it’s a lot of pressure. “A [catwalk] show might only last 15 minutes, but in those 15 minutes, whoever is managing that show essentially holds the keys to the brand’s global reputation,” Célestin says. “What we do is surround those 15 minutes with as much energy, attention and patience as possible.” Understanding what to do when in possession of that type of influence isn’t something Célestin and his team muck around with. “Do your homework. And when you think you’ve done enough, do it again. Only when you’re truly prepared can you begin to prepare surprises.”
As much as Célestin is excellent at his job, he’s not impenetrable. It’s been a process of learning how to cope when the heat is cranked up. “When you’re part of a team, the pressure is one thing. But when you’re leading all teams, that pressure is entirely different.
You won’t understand what you’ve signed up for until you’re in that position. One of the challenges is, with all the competing agendas around the table, the risk that there’s going to be at least one unhappy person is high. So that idealised feeling of perfect joy? Well, you need to be confident that what you’ve done is the best it could have been.”
His honesty makes him relatable. When faced with the sheer scale and precision of the finished events, it’s easy to forget the relentless effort behind the scenes. “I realised early on that if I let stress and pressure take over, I wouldn’t last long in this business, at least not in one piece. So I gave myself a choice: either walk away and preserve my health or learn how to navigate it.” Célestin has learned to recharge, swapping the frenzy of fashion week for moments of calm: he often meditates in the countryside. He admits, though, that switching off entirely isn’t in his nature. “I feel more at peace when I have an eye on every detail. That’s how I keep my balance.”
Leila Chouaib, client and fashion director at OBO, and Célestin in his office in Paris
His calmness is also reflected in the people he keeps around him. “Honestly, I’d credit Sophia [Neophitou] with teaching me a lot of this and I’m not flattering,” he says. “She has an uncanny ability to face enormous challenges and stay light in her mind and soul. She’s one of the five people in my life that I’ve taken as a real example to keep smiling – even if you feel like you’re melting inside – because that smile will come back.”
As we near the end of our conversation, I take the opportunity to ask Célestin to look back one last time and tell me what he’s learned over the past 25 years. OBO, he says, has survived a fair amount of global crises that should have seen an events company off, such as Covid, the 2008 recession and even 9/11, which occurred while events under Célestin’s direction were taking place at New York Fashion Week. “To imagine that the industry had a future after that took everything. It forced you to realise you might be capable of more than you ever expected. Each of those moments felt existential. But we made it through and, honestly, I think we got better every time. It’s counterintuitive, but those crises made us stronger.”
As expected, he doesn’t want to dwell for too long. “Then I look at how far we’ve come. OBO is turning 25. One of my dearest friends, Sophia Neophitou, her magazine is turning 25 too. I pick up the phone and, before I even realise it, we’re already plotting the next thing. That’s the real joy – that feeling of we’re just getting started. There’s so much left to dream about. So much to build. And I’m so thankful – for every person, every moment and everything still to come.”
‘Fashion Creatures: Jumping into the Unknown’: for the first episode of this new conversation series, René Célestin sits down with Sophia Neophitou, founder and editor-in-chief of 10 Magazine. Sophia reflects on building a platform that became a cultural reference, her creative vision, her passion for fashion, and a profound encounter with the unknown, a near-fatal battle that reshaped her perspective on life, risk, and creativity. Watch the episode here.
Photography by Andre Wolff. Taken from 10 Magazine Issue 75 – BIRTHDAY, EVOLVE, TRANSFORMATION – out on newsstands now. Order your copy here.
OBO’s founder René Célestin has been masterminding fashion spectacles for 25 years
