Phoebe Philo is embarking on her own. After a brilliant decade as creative director at Chloé and Celine – speak Celine with an accent – and five years of absolute radio silence, Philo is back in September with her own label. The brand was founded with the support of luxury group LVMH and will bear its own name. And it’s not just any name: the words Phoebe and Philo are enough to make thousands of fashionistas swoon. But what does the name Phoebe Philo actually stand for? What has shaped your work so far and what can you expect from your brand?
A mischievous kid from London
Phoebe Philo was born in Paris to British parents. When she was two years old, the family moved to London, where Philo grew up. She is said to have redesigned her own clothes when she was a teenager. So it was only natural that after graduating from school she would study at the renowned fashion academy Central Saint Martins. Philo graduated in 1996. Her graduation collection was marked by “Latino influences and gold jewellery,” wrote the Guardian a few years later. According to the newspaper, Philos’ collection showed “skill in cutting and styling”.
At university, Philo became friends with fellow designer Stella McCartney, who graduated a year before Philo and joined Chloé when she was just 25. Shortly after Philo graduated from Central Saint Martins, she joined McCartney in Paris. She officially worked there as a design assistant, but according to The Face magazine, Philo was also McCartney’s “stylist, friend, casting consultant, therapist, muse and right-hand man” at Chloé.
At first sight it was a crazy combination: the noble Chloé, led by two young, rebellious girls from London. McCartney wore oversized jackets, Philo wore gold teeth. “We were inseparable,” McCartney told Time magazine in 2014 about her collaboration with Philo. “In Paris we worked side by side, the naughty kids from London at Chloé.”
The Chloé years
McCartney made a big impression on Chloé. She combined modern cuts with vintage influences and bold prints. The Spring 2000 collection is a prime example of this, featuring suits with peaked lapels and fringed openwork lace, but also a tiny gold bikini and a T-shirt with a printed skull with bunny ears. McCartney’s collections were shaped by influences from the club scene and elements of lingerie. “Playful, sexy, romantic” and “distinctly British,” wrote Another magazine of her collections. “A combination of Savile Row craftsmanship and Girl power cheek“.
Although she was officially the “second in command”, Philo is also said to have played an important role in shaping the collections of the time. When McCartney left the brand to start her own label in 2001, Philo stayed on board as chief designer. Although Philo had worked for the house for several years, she promptly gave Chloé a new direction. Her work was less direct, less rock ‘n’ roll and more in the direction of casual elegance. Her first solo show for Chloé in 2002 featured many breezy silhouettes in white with lush flowers and openwork embroidery. The looks were still sexy but less explicit and provocative.
Philo demonstrated a razor-sharp sense of what’s going on in young women’s lives and what it takes. “Phoebe Philo captures the spirit of the times like no other,” wrote Vogue critic Sarah Mower about her spring 2005 collection: “A touch of loose, casual loveliness.” She showed loose-fitting dresses, skirts and blouses made of shiny fabrics, with lace trimmings and ruffles. Strikingly, the result wasn’t dreamy or delicate, but rather casual and cool, paired with casual scarves and military jackets and half-open button closures. The collection had “an indescribable ‘It’ factor,” says Mower.
Philo’s 2005 Paddington bag, made of supple leather with a large lock dangling from it, also had the “it factor”. The bag was then worn by celebrities such as the Hilton sisters, Nicole Richie and Mischa Barton. In the year the bag was launched, Chloé’s global sales increased by 60 percent.
During her five years at Chloé, Philo always had her finger on the pulse. From chic summer shorts to festive jackets to soft winter coats with pockets, Philo has always found the golden mean between attractive and functional, elegance and nonchalance. Their collections also remained innovative. Even the last collection Philo designed for the fashion house gave Chloé a “fresh form, proportion and vitality,” Mower wrote at the time. The Spring 2006 collection featured white embroidered A-line dresses, skirts and preppy jackets that harked back to 1960s grandma chic but were unmistakably modern thanks to the clean lines.
In 2006, Philo left Chloé to focus on her family. For a designer at the peak of her career, this step was unusual, but understandable. He was also typical of what Philo stood for as a person and as a designer: first the woman, then the clothes.
Phoebe Philo at Celine
The early noughties were characterized by a celebrity culture where fame and opulence were openly flaunted with expensive bags, rhinestones and large sunglasses. But fashion is and always has been reactionary – and so the shift came with the emergence of minimalist fashion in the second half of the decade. Typical of this development was the launch of Cos, H&M’s minimalist chain, in 2007. The emergence of this minimalism was further reinforced by the ensuing financial crisis. The latter marked a return to timeless looks with fewer embellishments and a lower “cost per wear”. “The new mood in fashion is serious,” headlined Vogue.
A new image of women also emerged: a more realistic image of a working woman who does not value glitz and glamor but instead wants simple, practical and comfortable clothing that nonetheless exudes class. In 2008 Philo joined luxury sportswear brand Céline – giving women just that.
Philos’ first collection for the brand was the 2010 Resort collection. Reviews were consistently positive. “Confident,” “on point,” and “woman-friendly,” is how fashion critic Nicole Phelps described the collection for Vogue Runway. The collection was impeccably tailored and elegant without being too fussy, but with refined details such as carefully asymmetric hems and fabrics with a subtle metallic sheen. A contrast to the more exotic jet set looks of their predecessors, the designers Michael Kors and Ivana Omazic with their tropical plant prints, sea colors and references to tennis and motor sports.
In the meantime, of course, Philo had aged a few years herself, and with that her way of designing had changed. This was evident in the spring 2010 collection, which consisted of long trousers with baggy tops and simple-looking leather dresses. Fewer layers, fewer buttons, fewer belts, and a greater focus on lines and materials. “I thought: I’ll clean up a bit,” said Philo himself of the collection. She herself described her new path as “contemporary minimalism”. Sarah Mower saw the “precise lines and simple formula of luxurious and sporty elements” as the result of “a mission to make classic functionality sexy”. The strength of the collection may not have emanated from the runway photos, Mower wrote, “but every young woman in the room felt it.” According to the critic, a collective wave of desire swept through the audience after the show. This desire would later translate into sky-high sales.
everyday clothes
From the sales area to the dining table, to the club and back: Philos Céline was there for every moment of the day. Flattering pants, elegant blouses, chunky knits and structured coats offered women a wide range of options. As the initial severity of the recession eased and impulse buying returned, Philo’s work remained muted. The quiet confidence of her work survived the financial crisis, as did women’s demand for the modern, eclectic luxury that Philo offered.
Philo’s collections were not only for every time of day, but also for women in all phases of life. Philo illustrated the latter in the Céline campaigns, which featured models of different ages. In 2015, for example, American writer Joan Didion, then 80 years old, posed for Celine in a black dress and oversized sunglasses.
The designer herself described her work as minimalist, but others also called her a minimalist because she used few embellishments and prints. However, those who view Philo’s work as purely minimalist tend to emphasize the serious side of her work and overlook the boldness and playfulness that has developed over the years.
For Spring 2013, Philo introduced flip flops and bright yellow fluffy pumps, while 2014 featured graffiti-like prints and geometric cut-outs. A dress with a print derived from an Yves Klein painting followed in spring 2017. More bright colors and oversized silhouettes were added, occasionally even a conceptual quip, like pumps reminiscent of bare feet with toenails painted red. Philo’s last show for Céline, just before her abrupt departure in 2018, featured both classic draping and deconstructed jackets with Balenciaga-esque shoulders.
A distinctive style
Philo’s handwriting cannot easily be summed up in a few words. Over the years with Chloé and Céline, her work with herself and the women around her has evolved, from young and casual to confident and artistic. Rather than asking what Philo’s own label will be offering, perhaps the easiest thing to ask is: What do today’s women need? In the aftermath of Covid-19 and in the face of ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, it may be comfort – supple silhouettes, rich materials – but also clothing that inspires confidence and strength in a still-volatile situation. How Philo will react is just as unpredictable. In her long career she has shown that she can not only react to existing needs, but also anticipate them.
This post previously appeared on FashionUnited.nl