Phoebe Philo’s eye for sharp, understated elegance has made the British designer a revered name in fashion. Now, after a three-year hiatus, she is returning to the industry.
Philo announced the move Monday. “Being in my studio and making once again has been both exciting and incredibly fulfilling,” she said in a statement. “I am very much looking forward to being back in touch with my audience and people everywhere.”
Her rally comes in the form of an eponymous new label backed by luxury conglomerate LVMH. In a statement to Womens Wear Daily, LVMH chairman and CEO, Bernard Arnault, called Philo “one of the most talented designers of our time.”
Fashion fanatics have been following Philo’s work for two decades. In 2001, Philo took over from Stella McCartney as creative director of luxury French fashion house Chloé. She migrated to Céline in 2008, by which time she had a cult following in tow.
Her departure from the storied label in 2017 left fans of Philo’s work reeling. One devoted member of the Philo fandom even created the Instagram account @OldCéline (which now boasts over 377,000 followers), as a visual eulogy commemorating Philo’s decade-long tenure at the brand.
Philo’s time at Céline gave a new meaning to glamour. Far from gaudy glitz, she fostered a new mode of dressing built on the principles of minimalism, tailoring and effortless chic. And her influence on womenswear has been far-reaching. Despite Philo’s well documented take on trends (“it felt better for me to work on an idea of a wardrobe than too much trend, she said in an interview with Vogue in 2009, adding: I worked hard to create things that stand the test of time”), her simple, sophisticated designs have spawned a thousand copycats across fast fashion retailers.
But the designer’s appeal is industry-recognized, too. In 2005 and 2010, Philo won Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, and in 2011 she was awarded the International Award at the CFDA Fashion Awards.
“I am very happy to partner with Phoebe on her entrepreneurial adventure,” Arnault said in his statement.
Top image: Phoebe Philo at the 2017 runway show for Céline’s Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection in Paris.
