Phoebe Philo finally will finally unveil her long-awaited signature brand in September.
The acclaimed British designer has started an official Instagram account for her signature fashion house, and the first post notes that her inaugural collection “will be revealed and available on our website, phoebephilo.com, in September 2023.
“We will be opening for registration in July 2023 and look forward to being back in touch then.”
Given her cult following, and antennae keenly attuned to the zeitgeist, her return will not doubt elicit cheers from consumers, editors and retailers – and perhaps some nail-biting and angst among her designer peers.
Comments came thick and fast on the post. “We are ready,” said Instagram’s Eva Chen. “Saving money till then,” commented the account Landedinzrh. Art director Ronnie Cooke Newhouse displayed three hearts, while stylist Eric McNeal posted one.
The British designer has kept an extremely low profile since announcing in July 2021 that she would be returning to fashion with an independent, namesake house — and with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton as a minority investor.
At the time, Philo said she would create clothing and accessories “rooted in exceptional quality and design, adding: “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.”
The designer has remained mum on her venture ever since.
To be sure, Philo has been busy staffing up her new London-based venture, quietly bringing on Patrik Silén as chief operating officer last year.
A 16-year veteran of consulting firm McKinsey & Company, Silén more recently worked as chief strategy officer at Asos.com in the U.K., and as a senior adviser to SystemIQ Ltd., a “systems change” company with a sustainable bent.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Silén is a Harvard Business School graduate and has also worked for Procter & Gamble, online credit firm Accucard, and management consultancy Mitchell Madison Group.
Philo also continues to beef up her studio, last year engaging a denim designer and a workshop head, both from Balenciaga, market sources told WWD.
She tapped a human resources executive from Burberry, the sources added.
One of the most revered — and bankable — designers of her generation, Philo is best known for engineering a brand rejuvenation during a 10-year tenure at Celine, one of about 75 brands controlled by LVMH. Season after season, she minted womanly, modernist clothing and distinctive handbags, accruing an intensely loyal fan base.
Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH, has described Philo as “one of the most talented designers of our time.”
A graduate of London’s Central Saint Martins fashion school, Philo was classmates with Stella McCartney and worked with her when McCartney launched her own collection after graduation. Philo followed McCartney to Chloé in 1997 and took the top job in 2001 when McCartney left to set up her own fashion house in a joint venture with Gucci Group.
With her striking personal style, Philo succeeded in accelerating Chloé’s rejuvenation and catapulting it into the high-margin leather goods business. She became known for fashions that deftly blended masculine elements like trousers and such feminine fare as frilly blouses.
She resigned from Chloé in 2006 for personal reasons, citing a wish to spend more time with her young children.
Three years later, after lengthy discussions with LVMH about launching a namesake brand, Philo wound up at the helm of Céline, where she debuted a more fashion-forward, minimalist aesthetic, tinged with artsy touches. Her collections exceeded all revenue expectations and won wide acclaim, despite her reticence about e-commerce and an arms-length policy with the press.
At Celine, she was succeeded by Hedi Slimane, who dropped the accent in the label’s name and reoriented the brand toward retro-tinged, bourgeois French chic.
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Phoebe Philo at Céline: The Most Iconic Looks
Source: WWD