Brand Story: Céline

Like many of her contemporaries, Phoebe Philo learned her craft at the renowned Central Saint Martins school in London. There she met Stella McCartney, with whom she sparked up a friendship that would help to determine her career path. Graduating in 1996, she joined Stella at Chloé in Paris, where they were able to express their individual, yet broadly complementary styles. In 2001, Phoebe Philo proved to be the natural replacement for Stella at the head of Chloé. Virtually unknown to the general public and the industry at the time, she set about developing the style that would make her famous. The romantic and ethereal Chloé style might seem to contrast starkly with what Phoebe Philo is known for now, but the floaty quality, freedom of movement and subtle masculinity characteristic of her collections reveal the very beginnings of what she went on to achieve for Céline.
The designer returned to London in 2006 to concentrate on her family… until Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, offered her the role of Creative Director at Céline, which was in search of an identity.

From the moment she showed her first collection, there was magic – or rather, a dose of that had been absent from the catwalks since 2000. Phoebe Philo was the antithesis of this. She designed simple and practical, yet refined pieces for Céline, evoking power rather than femininity, independence as opposed to glamour. The effect she had on fashion in the 2010s influenced women around the world. Phoebe Philo style had arrived: never overly classic, never extravagant, but comfortable and elegant, offering freedom of movement both in terms of design and materials. As the designer – who rarely speaks out – has explained, she designs with women in mind, reflecting on their daily lives, their work and their significance in the world today, irrelevant of gender. Her commitment paid off. Within a few years, she had tripled profits at Céline and made "minimalist" the fashion statement of the decade with her oversized coats, chunky knits and wide-leg trousers, without ever coming across as boring.

While at Céline, Phoebe Philo developed an accessories line that immediately established itself as the most inspiring of the time. Expert design, perfect craftsmanship and impeccable quality: every handbag the fashion house brought out proved instantly popular, being coveted by women and copied by other brands. Nothing was left to chance. Practical, understated shapes with perfect proportions and architectural details made the Trio, Classic, Phantom and Trapeze handbags best-sellers in all sorts of leathers and skins. Phoebe Philo may be well-known for her neutral tones and limited colour palette, but she doesn't hold back from introducing splashes of bold colour to key pieces and accessories to play up the contrast with some of her more austere designs.

The same goes for shoes. In showing furry red, pink and yellow stilettos on the catwalk, she displayed her talent for creating pieces that were both sensational and trendsetting, without ever going overboard or crossing the line into bad taste. Her years at Céline will be remembered for the knits and the beautifully cut coats, the oversized garments and the timeless accessories she redesigned, like the tote bag and ballet pumps we thought were buried forever. Therein lies the real strength of Phoebe Philo, who showed us the power of classic clothing.