Phoebe Philo: A Timeline Of The Fashion Designer's Most Memorable Fashion Moments
The former Celine creative director is returning to fashion with an eponymous fashion brand
Phoebe Philo has announced her comeback to the fashion industry and is launching her own eponymous label.
On Monday July 12, 2021 the former Celine creative director released a statement to share the news of her forthcoming, long-awaited independent clothing and accessories line.
‘Being in my studio and making once again has been both exciting and incredibly fulfilling,’ the 48-year-old said. ‘I am very much looking forward to being back in touch with my audience and people everywhere. To be independent, to govern and experiment on my own terms is hugely significant to me.’
While little more is known of the label, which will launch in January 2022 and will likely be based in London where Philo lives, the British designer told WWD that the clothing and accessories would be ‘rooted in exceptional quality and design’. Women’s Wear Daily previously reportedly Philo was assembling a team for a sustainability-focused brand.
The news comes three-and-a-half-years after designer Hedi Slimane took the helm at French ready-to-wear brand Celine (previously avec accent) following Philo’s 10-year tenure.
Prior to Celine, the London’s Central Saint Martins graduate took over from former classmate Stella McCartney as Chloé’s creative director in 2001, and later became the first designer at a major fashion house to take a maternity leave, according to the New York Times. Philo resigned from Chloé in 2006 for personal reasons.
If you’re unaware of Philo by name, you’ll certainly be aware of her influence as the woman behind the biggest trends to hit our wardrobes since the early Noughties.
Few designers’ influence is so far-reaching that they’ve inspired new vocabulary: ‘Philophiles’, referring to Philo’s committed following, and ‘Céline-ification’, used to refer to the transformative effect of Philo’s work on the entire fashion industry, having spawned countless copycats.
Famously guarded, giving few interviews and not engaging with social media (‘The chicest thing is when you don't exist on Google’, she once said), Philo is arguably the silent voice of generation, having spoken to women’s interests through clothes; she quietly offered something that spoke to shifting sensibilities, ushering in a new sense of ease at home and in the workplace, prioritising character and comfort.
She also spawned a new generation of lauded talent, including Bottega Veneta's creative director Daniel Lee, who worked under Philo at Céline, and designers Peter Do, Rok Hwang, and Ilaria Iccardi, the design director at Victoria Beckham.
‘It felt better for me to work on an idea of a wardrobe than too much trend,’ Philo said at her 2009 Celine debut. ‘I worked hard to create things that stand the test of time.’ It’s because of Philo we still can’t get enough of wide-leg trousers paired with trainers, oversized cuff shirting, camel coats and pillowy clutches.
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's largest luxury goods conglomerate behind the likes of Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Tiffany & Co., has taken a minority stake in the new label.
Speaking of LVMH’s stake, Philo noted: ‘I have had a very constructive and creative working relationship with LVMH for many years. So it is a natural progression for us to reconnect on this new project.’ LVMH’s chairman, Bernard Arnault, described Philo’s new venture as an ‘entrepreneurial adventure’ and the designer as ‘one of the most talented designers of our time.
What we can expect from a new brand from the lauded creative director is anyone's guess. But, if Philo's previous work is anything to go by, we expect a complete change in the way we dress, accessorise and view fashion in years to come.
But while we wait to see what's in store from Philo, here's a look back at her most memorable moments to date:
The Chloé Paddington handbag
Philo launched the bag in 2004. The design, with its distinctive padlock clasp, is one of the Noughties’ most memorable styles, carried by everyone from Halle Berry to Nicole Richie.
Chloé's current creative director, Natacha Ramsay-Levi, recently brought the bag back, putting her own spin on it in 2019.
The Chloé banana print
Inspired by a photoshoot featuring supermodel Kate Moss wearing a vintage banana-print top, Philo reportedly called stylist Bay Garnett, asking to borrow it.
The next season, the print was all over the runway as part of Chloé’s SS04 collection.
The Céline scarf-print shirt
The scarf prints in Céline’s SS11 collection spawned a million copycats, with similar styles still available on the High Street today.
Not only were the campaigns – featuring supermodel Daria Werbowy in a swimming pool and bath – endlessly Instagrammed, but Kayne West famously performed in one of the collection’s shirts at Coachella in 2011.
Rapper Travis Scott has been seen in the style as recently as 2019.
The Céline camel coat
‘I think the boxy and androgynous silhouette is one of the trends she most inspired’, says MyTheresa’s fashion buying director Tiffany Hsu.
The tailored camel coat is emblematic of that, and was a staple of Céline’s since Philo featured a number of them in the resort 2010 collection (her first collection for the French luxury house).
Since then, it has become a staple in women’s wardrobes across the world, considered an essential everyday piece and still available in stores all over the High Street.
The Céline ‘Luggage’ tote
Was there a blogger or editor without the Luggage tote in 2012?
The winged bag with short handles, intended to sit neatly in the crook of one’s arm, is arguably one of the bag definitive styles of the past decade.
It catered to women - and men - of all tastes from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to Kim Kardashian. And yes, you can still buy it.
The Luxury Rebranding Of Trainers
Women everywhere hurried to buy a pair of adidas Stan Smiths when Philo took her bow at the SS11 show wearing them.
Her own best model, the preternaturally, cool designer proved sneakers could still look chic, styling them with tailored trousers and a crew-neck knit.
Philo also inspired a number of women, especially those working in fashion, to swap heels for flats by offering a Céline take on them in 2012. Yet another timeless style still available from Celine (sans accent) by Hedi Slimane.
The Céline fur shoes
While shearling-lined shoes might be commonplace now, with styles by Birkenstock and UGG still trending, Philo’s fur heels and lined sandals surprised fashion fans when they appeared on the runway in 2013.
‘Philo’s era at Céline was a defining moment for modern femininity,’ says Hsu. ‘She initiated today’s luxury minimalism,’ Hsu adds, referring to the easy silhouettes and comfortable styles that appeared unexpectedly on the catwalk.
Part of the SS13 collection, Philo ushered in a new era of ease, pairing them with loose silk silks and fluid tailored trousers.
They hinted at Philo’s wit, injecting humour into luxury fashion at a time ‘luxury’ appeared much more serious.
The Céline pillowy clutch bag
Take one look at a recent street-style gallery and you’ll see Bottega Veneta’s pillowy pouches trending in every city. (It’s no coincidence that Daniel Lee, the brand’s creative director, once worked under Philo at Céline).
Philo first put them on the runway as part of Céline’s AW13 collection, and not only did she put the style in the spotlight, but she inspired a new way of carrying them - those models really clutched those clutches.
The Céline painterly print
Philo’s SS14 collection introduced new energy to the luxury French label.
‘This was such a standout collection; it felt as if Philo really went somewhere, having become known for navy and black,’ says Molly Haylor, ELLE UK’s market and accessories editor.
‘All of a sudden I wanted to wear back long vests with splashes of colour and pleated skirts. You could open any magazine and the collection stood out compared to the other collections photographed that season.’
The Céline campaigns
‘My first memory of the brand is seeing fashion advertising campaigns that really spoke to me. They really stood out against every other fashion ad I had ever seen before,’ says Gabrielle Boucinha, the woman behind @oldceline, an Instagram fan account with over 302,000 followers.
‘The Joan Didion campaign, in particular, stood out because it was really progressive for a fashion brand to promote a "less is more" mentality, instead of saying "you need this product".'
The Didion campaign broke the internet with its boundary-pushed representation of older women. It spoke to women’s values, rather than just their personal style.
Personal shopper Gabriel Waller (who works with clients including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Hailey Bieber) adds that adopting this inclusive ethos is how ‘Philo created an extremely strong community'.
She notes: 'A community of like-minded women. I feel it is the community itself that she most inspired.’
The Céline blanket coat
Just last year, models Bieber and Huntington-Whiteley, put a call-out for help tracking down Céline’s AW17 blanket coat.
The coat and blanket scarves from the collection typified Philo’s humour, just as SS13’s furry shoes did, with the luxuriously crafted styles featuring the words ‘bangers and mash,’ and ‘sticky toffee pudding’ prints by New York based graphic designer Peter Miles.
‘The coat that I sourced for both Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Hailey Bieber would have to be my most memorable and unforgettable item,’ says Waller.
‘It’s almost crazy to admit, but that single coat had the ability to change the entire direction of my career in less than 24 hours. One post from Rosie mentioning that I had sourced it resulted in an influx of requests for not only that but a wide range of old Céline pieces.'
The Céline alphabet necklace
Anyone lucky enough to track down one of Céline’s bamboo-style alphabet pendant better hold onto them, as they command an impressively high figure on resale sites.
The high street is still awash with copycats.
The Phoebe Philo styling
One of Philo’s greatest legacies is impacting the way we dress. ‘It is clear that many brands have a #oldceline aesthetic,’ says Hsu, referring to the cool minimalism of Philo’s relaxed tailoring.
‘Look at my wardrobe. This is how I dress now and always will,’ laughs model and designer TyLynn Nguyen, who is always chased down by street-style photographers desperate to document her style. ‘It still has an impact on the way I’m dressed. I'm so inspired.’
As for Philo’s comeback, Nguyen adds: ‘She’s going to refresh the industry. She designs for the modern woman, like myself. I am ready to wear whatever she is making.’
Aren’t we all?
Watch Next
22 Of The Most Fashionable Trainers For 2023
Christopher Esber Drops Bridal Capsule
Meet The BFC's 2023/24 NEWGEN Recipients
Meet The Artists Who Make Up Simone Rocha's World
