PARIS — The Yellow Vests are back in France — albeit not quite in the same numbers as the social and economic inequality protesters once rallied. The world’s oldest travel company just closed in Britain, putting about 21,000 people out of work. There’s so much nervousness about a looming recession, the ’70s seem to be all any designer can think about (followed by that other recessionary decade, the ’90s).

Is this really a time for designer jeans?

Hedi Slimane , artistic director of Celine , certainly seems to think so. Jeans were the Big New Thing (or maybe the Big Old Thing) on a runway that otherwise seemed like a repeat of his last show, back in March , when he about-faced from dissolute rocker youth in tiny party dresses to bourgeois Frenchwomen (yes, the 1970s version) and set off a frenzy for culottes. Back then, he a lso raised some interesting points about hoodies not being the only kind of streetwear, but people were mostly excited about the culottes.

This time, the culottes were still there; ditto aviators and spiky knee-high boots and lots of blouses. Also some very elaborate gold peasant dresses highly reminiscent of the same Yves Saint Laurent gypsy styles that Anthony Vaccarello referenced in his Saint Laurent collection. (It’s going to be a great 2020 for anyone who loves a gold peasant dress. Also, probably, for Zara .) But this time the above assortment was joined by a whole lot of denim.