Whispers of a return to fashion for Phoebe Philo have been circulating for quite some time, but it has finally been announced that the cult favourite designer is launching her own eponymous label. Heralded as one of the design greats of our time, Philo has led iconic houses such as Chloe and Celine with her effortless aesthetic and will now be creating her own brand from scratch with backing from LVMH. Mastering the balance between artistic design and desirability, Phoebe took Celine from a lost brand to one of the most successful fashion houses of the 21st century. Harpers Bazaar reported that over her decade long tenure, Philo boosted sales from €200 million to more than €700 million and solidified Celine’s place as one of the most coveted brands among the industry. During her time as creative director she also helped kickstart the careers of some of fashion's current heavyweights including Daniel Lee (creative director of Bottega Veneta) and New York based designer Peter Do. (Fun fact - I was interning at Celine with all three of these incredible designers while in my second year of university!)
We are huge fans of Philo’s work at Shonamac and always get excited when an ‘old Celine’ piece comes through our door! From her soft tailoring, to her iconic prints to her instantly recognisable bag silhouettes, Philo's design identity runs through every single product. Here are some of our favourite signature pieces currently in stock.
The Trapeze Bag
The Trapeze bag launched in 2010 and was one of Celine's most popular styles. The silhouette was copied by almost every single shop on the high street as well as by other luxury labels and remains popular to this day. The style has since been discontinued but is an amazing item for any fashion collector. Our current offering comes in a 'greige' smooth leather with khaki suede side panels and a silver metal closure with the all important accented logo.
V-Neck Shoes
The Celine v-neck style shoe has a deep cut upper in a pointed toe design which is both flattering on the ankle and elongating overall. We currently have two pairs in stock - one pair of navy leather flats which is perfect for everyday wear in the office and a pair of black kitten heel boots which can be styled for the evening. The beauty of Philo's design is that nothing looks 'overdone' or showy so these boots could just as easily be paired with jeans and a t-shirt for a Sunday morning brunch.
The Cabas Tote
During her time at Celine, Philo created many covetable tote designs from the infamous Luggage Tote (smiley face) bag to the Tie Tote to the Cabas. Blending practicality with luxury it's no surprise that her bags circulated like wildfire during her time as creative director. We currently have a black lambskin tote bag with white zippers that can be undone to expand the bag and flash the enclosed white leather panels. It's a perfect size for everyday with plenty of room to carry a laptop and any important documents.
Laundry Check
The laundry bag check was another highly popular (and highly copied) design from Phoebe Philo's AW13 collection. Elevating the iconic oversized plastic woven check more commonly found in laundrettes, Philo repurposed the design for boxy fit coats, bags and shoes. We have a pair of slip on flats in this print with a thick rubber sole perfect for everyday wear.
Shop all our Celine offerings here from Phoebe Philo era, to Hedi Slimane and even an old Michael Kors design. We drop New Arrivals each week so sign up to our newsletter to make sure you don't miss out on any new stock!
