Céline

When the news of Céline creative director Phoebe Philo’s departure broke I panicked… It is so hard to find a brand that fully reflects your style. Céline was my go to brand for many years… I hate being negative in general but I especially hate being negative in this blog because this is my happy place! But after yesterdays fashion show I could not stop thinking how horrible it was and what a great loss Phoebe is. Philo had held the role since 2008, and over the course of the last ten years she not only redefined Céline but she redefined what it meant to be a modern woman. Her pieces were unfussy and minimalist. She understood exactly what we wanted to wear even before we did. She understood that not all women wanted to dress in everything that shines and glitters! She was conservative, and I loved her for it.

She changed the way we thought about clothes. She made us look at quality again, and changed the way we look at comfort in clothes! From high-waisted wide trousers with trainers to turtlenecks with oversized coats, Céline became the brand that gave us luxury without disregarding comfort. It was finally possible to be chic and comfortable at the same time!

Since I’m writing about Phoebe today I thought I’d list down a few iconic moments that made so many of us love her Céline :

• Joan Didion for Céline – Do you remember that campaign? I do , I couldn’t imagine a better campaign star for Céline than Joan Didion at that time. The writer embodied the brand.

• Stan Smith – When Phoebe took a finale walk after her fall/winter 2012 collection, she had those Adidas Stan Smith’s on, her hair was tucked into her turtleneck. It was the look that preceded the Stan Smith craze and launched a thousand hair tucks!

 

• BLACK AND NAVY –  Philo obviously did not come up with the black and navy combo, but she did make it fashionable again. The dark neutrals were the signature color combo of her Fall-Winter 2010 collection.

•  LEATHER T-SHIRTS – Leather t-shirts, perfectly cut wide-leg trousers, and an ease in silhouette  became one of her staples. My daughter and I loved that leather T-shirt look a lot. Last year for her prom my daughter wore a black leather top and an off white long net skirt. She looked stunning …. it was a classic look yet really fun and modern at the same time.

 

• There were the bags, of course, the box bag was my favorite.. still is.
• The double cuffs – they complemented every minimalist wardrobe!
• Over sized coats – A staple for comfort. Once Phoebe wore it over her shoulders, that’s how everyone else started wearing their coats as well.
• High waisted wide pants – oh I’m going to miss those pants! No one does pants the same way!

 The list could go on and on ….Céline without Philo? ….  What were they thinking? it’s an end of an era!