Phoebe Philo is back: your first look at her eponymous label
Ex-Celine and Chloé creative director Phoebe Philo reveals her much-anticipated first collection under her eponymous label, a ‘seasonless, continuous body of work’ defined by off-kilter elegance
The wait is over. Phoebe Philo, lauded British designer and former creative director of Parisian houses Chloé and Celine, has returned, revealing her first collection for her eponymous London-based label today. The return, which is backed by luxury goods conglomerate LVMH and has been much-speculated and anticipated, was first announced in July 2021; last month, an initial launch date of September was pushed back to October 30. It was announced via a short email statement alongside a series of images.
The collection – or ‘edit’ as it is dubbed in the release – is described as part of a ‘seasonless, continuous body of work,’ of which drops like these will appear regularly. Spanning ready-to-wear, leather goods and accessories, the first edit, A1, will arrive in three drops beginning on 30 October 2023 and over ‘the months that follow’. There are 150 pieces in total.
A second edit, A2, will be released in Spring 2024. ‘Our aim is to create a product that reflects permanence,’ says the statement, which echoes her design philosophy at Celine, whereby ephemeral trends were largely eschewed for pieces designed to remain in the wardrobe for seasons – indeed years – to come.
Phoebe Philo reveals first collection
‘The Phoebe Philo business model is designed to create a responsible balance between production and demand,’ the statement continues. ‘For us, this means producing notably less than anticipated want.’ So far, it is an ambition that rings true – the shopping section of the website initially appeared to have crashed, a sign of the vast demand for Philo’s work (the issue has since been rectified).
The collection itself feels in many ways an extension of her work in Celine, comprising a series of elegant, just-off-kilter riffs on wardrobe classics – among them here mannish tailoring, wool overcoats, trenches and cargo pants – alongside those readily associated with the designer, like a roll-neck sweater pulled up to the chin, or square-toed loafers and capacious bags. There is also a play on the biker jacket, oversized, padded and cinched at the waist. 1980s-tinged, it is worn with a pair of shiny black polyamide leggings with a wave motif and tab detailing. Former Celine muse Daria Werbowy appears in the images, alongside a number of other models.
Other pieces are more unexpected, like a series of garments adorned with combed embroidery to give the appearance of fluff or fur (first across trousers, then enormous overcoats), or a trouser which unzips all the way down the back seam. A similar sensuality infuses an asymmetric silk dress, rising high on the thigh.
Philo rose to prominence when she took over from Stella McCartney at Chloé (a fellow Central Saint Martins graduate, she had previously been McCartney’s design assistant). It was at Celine, though, that the designer would achieve cult status, gaining a devoted following for her collections which created clothing primed for contemporary women’s lives. ‘I came about it through wearing it... it’s always that,’ she said after her A/W 2016 collection.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*, joining the team in 2022. Having previously been the digital features editor at AnOther and digital editor at 10 and 10 Men magazines, he has also contributed to titles including i-D, Dazed, 10 Magazine, Mr Porter’s The Journal and more, while also featuring in Dazed: 32 Years Confused: The Covers, published by Rizzoli. He is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines – notably art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. Across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including Rick Owens, Pieter Mulier, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Christian Lacroix, Kate Moss and Manolo Blahnik.
-
Incorp brings together the work of Sissel Tolaas and Panconesi in three unique fragrances
Collaborative fragrance project Incorp was founded by Kira Lillie, bringing together the work of artist Sissel Tolaas, jewellery designer Marco Panconesi and more
By Mary Cleary Published
-
CES 2025: a collection of this year’s conceptual tech and real-world innovations
Robots of every shape and size were on display at CES, some with more promise than others, along with new approaches to art, health and entertainment
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Discover Interni Venosta, the new furniture label where craft and beauty speak for themselves
Interni Venosta, the new furniture label of Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran, is a perfectly pitched celebration of craft, quality and nostalgia
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Unboxing beauty products from 2024, as seen on the pages of Wallpaper*
Wallpaper's 2024 beauty picks included Chanel lipstick, Bottega Veneta perfume and solid soap from the likes of Aesop, Celine, Diptyque, Hermès and Sisley
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
How 2024 brought beauty and fashion closer than ever before
2024 was a year when beauty and fashion got closer than ever before, with runway moments, collaborations and key launches setting the scene for 2025 and beyond
By Mahoro Seward Published
-
Wallpaper* beauty editor Hannah Tindle’s eclectic gift guide
Wallpaper* beauty editor Hannah Tindle ideas for festive gifting include a scalp-stimulating hairbrush, a mid-century ‘party’ ashtray and an archival poster for Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Hedi Slimane to leave Celine after seven years; Michael Rider named as successor
Hedi Slimane will leave Celine after a seven-year tenure as artistic, creative and image director across fashion, beauty and lifestyle at the French couture house, with Michael Rider – an alumnus of Phoebe Philo’s Celine – named as his successor
By Jack Moss Last updated
-
Hedi Slimane’s latest Celine collection is an homage to the leading ladies of 1960s France: watch the film
Inspired by listening to The Velvet Underground and Nico while re-reading Françoise Sagan, Hedi Slimane pays ode to legendary French it-girls like Sagan, Françoise Hardy and Juliette Gréco with a collection rooted in the liberatory spirit of the 1960s
By Jack Moss Published
-
A guide to the best fashion stores London has to offer
Wallpaper* picks the must-visit London fashion stores – from big-name boutiques and classic department stores to the best in vintage, alongside the sleek and experimental
By Jack Moss Last updated
-
Hedi Slimane takes Celine to Norfolk for ‘Anglomania’ menswear collection: watch the film
Inspired by Evelyn Waugh’s ‘Bright Young Things’, Hedi Slimane’s latest Celine menswear collection is captured by the designer in a romantic short film set at the Palladian Holkham Hall on England’s Norfolk coastline
By Jack Moss Published
-
Why solid soap is the most pleasurable object to bathe with
Solid soap provides a tactile bathing experience like no other. Hannah Tindle explores why in the September 2024 Style Issue of Wallpaper*, with soaps by Chanel, Celine, Diptyque, and more, photographed by Sophie Gladstone
By Hannah Tindle Published