The long wait is over for lovers of Phoebe Philo
Phoebe Philo’s first collection under her own name has finally arrived.
The day circled in the diary of a certain category of fashion-obsessed women has finally arrived. For so-called Philophiles, those most ardent fans of British fashion designer Phoebe Philo, and the fashion industry itself, anticipation of the arrival of the first brand designed under her name has been near hysterical.
For indeed between 2001 and 2017, first as creative director at Chloe, then at luxury French fashion house Celine (back when it had the accent on the “e”, Celiné), which under her vision increased sales fourfold and was indelibly imprinted on the cultural zeitgeist, Philo understood and directed how women wanted to dress.
Philo’s clothes were often pegged as minimalist but they were more than merely pared back. Always they had an element of quirk and kookiness to them. They were functional (pockets! dressy knits!) but they were also individualistic.
Philo, pictured right, kicked off enduring trends such as the obsession with white Adidas Stan Smith sneakers or chunky (and sometimes furry) slides worn with tailoring. She put author Joan Didion in her advertising campaign.
Since she stepped away from fashion in 2017 her work has been both mourned and valorised by the fashion set.
There are numerous Instagram accounts, such as @oldceline and @phoebephiloarchive dedicated to documenting her impact on fashion. As Eva Chen, head of fashion at Instagram, recently said: “It’s a sign of true love and fandom when you have people who basically are your fashion archivists on behalf of the actual brand.” Philo’s archival pieces attract top-ticket prices on resale sites.
Philo’s influence can be seen in some of the most interesting designers working today too, such as her protege, Matthieu Blazy, at Bottega Veneta, who worked for Philo at Celine. Crucially, she didn’t dress women for the male gaze.
She made power clothes for thinking women who really knew themselves. Who wouldn’t want to be such a woman?
So how does her new collection, launched on Monday and some six years after the notoriously media-shy Philo (she once said “the chicest thing is when you don’t exist on Google”) left fashion, stack up?
As veteran fashion critic Cathy Horyn put it in her review for The Cut of Philo’s collection, which includes signatures such as super-soft leather pieces, the sleek funnel neck tops, trousers cut with enough kink (that can unzip all the way to the top, say) to garner a cult following – “people will lose their minds”.
Philo’s new brand, says Horyn, takes fashion “a big step forward”.
What also needs to be said of the collection is that it is sold online direct to the consumer in small quantities (and is not yet available to shop from Australia), has minority backing from luxury conglomerate LVMH, is unrelentingly luxurious in its fabrications and cuts, and is also quite astronomically expensive.
Eva Galambos, director and buyer of luxury Sydney boutique Parlour X, says Philo fans will not be disappointed.
“The only thing that will disappoint fans after the release of Phoebe Philo’s new collection is the fact that so much is already sold out,” she says.
“The collection is predictably ‘Phoebe’, which is precisely what people want. It’s not too much, nor too little, there’s just not enough for everyone. She built a collection of all her signature favourites that fans are now very ready to reinvest and update their wardrobes with brand-new versions under her brand-new name.”
Fashion editor Emma Kalfus, a long-time Philo fan, says she too was not disappointed.
As Kalfus notes, when it comes to understanding Phoebe Philo (and understanding the prices), the devil is always in the details.
“There is texture in the way of hand-combed embroidered (almost feathered) coats and pants, a tasteful pastel yellow sequin dresses. Her signature suiting and man-style big-collar coats in the most luxe fabrications. High collars and scarf neck shirts. Buttery leather jackets. It’s just all so luxe!” she says.
Still, Arielle Chee Davies, founder of luxury consulting company Together Club, says the prices – and the fact you can’t try things on – could be daunting.
“We expected it to be expensive, but prices are eye-watering. Particularly for Australian clients (who, disappointingly, actually can’t shop directly), once you do the currency conversion and you are looking at almost $12,000 for a tote. Which is a high price to ask, particularly when it’s only available online and you can’t try it on,” she says.
Still, while many of us will never wear these pieces, Chee Davies notes that what Philo stands for (and that will eventually trickle down to more affordable options) is that she has always wanted to showcase women feeling their best.
“Philophiles will be highly pleased as the collection is everything you could want and expect for Phoebe’s return to fashion,” Chee Davies says.
“Her signature is stamped all over the collection, from the fabrication, use of leather and suede, and colour palette, to the silhouette and that mix of raw, timeless, sex appeal and polish, punk and cool girl factor that we all crave to be a part of.
“That classic masculinity delineation throughout the collection is there, through the sharp tailoring and more classic shapes, as well as a sense of scale, like the enormous tote bags. Along with fluidity contrasted with volume, there is still that perfect balance with the female form that she does best.”