A little over two years after announcing that, wait— she was actually coming back— and nearly six years after leaving Celine, the brand she turned into one of the most influential fashion lines in the world, Phoebe Philo the messiah (sorry, designer) has finally made a comeback to the fashion world with Phoebe Philo the brand. Are the hosannas audible? Perhaps the most talked-about, eagerly awaited, and highly anticipated new line from a once-loved name is her first namesake collection—well, ever.
The collection was never going to slip in under the radar, even with the choice not to put on an exhibition or produce any promotion. Ms. Philo was too legendary to be a secret, especially after her metamorphosis of Chloé and Celine garnered her an adoring fan base of Philophiles. Could it possibly meet the standards that were set?
In a nutshell, yes, it is excellent. Will it drastically alter style? No, but it might just give it a push.
The debut collection, formally known as A1, has adult clothing that implies a woman has the autonomy to determine how she is perceived. It presents a coherent idea of what to wear following the chaos of attempting to make sense of everything after the pandemic, when the expected Roaring Twenties became the Recessionary Twenties and going back to work became a labor conflict. These clothing’ owner doesn’t put up with anything. Wearing them would allow you a certain amount of covert deviation while making you feel briskly equipped to go out and get things done.
Wool pants with a high waist feature a zipper running up the back, serving as a provocation and a seam from the hem to the iliac bones. Will somebody completely unzip them? Don’t you want to give it a shot and see? A bronze bauble, which may be used for both self-defense and dental hygiene, hangs on a pendant chain. An ivory coat with fuzzy pile looks like a wearable shag rug.
That hand-embroidered viscose twill shag, which also occurs on the front of pants and in the trim of a black-tie miniskirt with tails on either side that drip on the floor like a hairy train, is, in fact, the sole embellishment in the first collection, save from the occasional epaulet. Sort of like wear what you murder. & strangely difficult to resist. Your first thought is, “Really?” Then you ponder, “Hmm.”
Apart from that, the line consists of staple pieces like a louche pantsuit, a cashmere overcoat with a double vent in the back, and a fantastic twill trench. Though it comes with an integrated bodysuit for convenience, one asymmetric top in a heavy, white stretch-silk-satin material looks as though you’ve just thrown a scarf around your neck and headed out the door.
Some interesting squishy leather bags and studded belts are examples of accessories. In fact, the collection features a good bit of leather in the form of coat dresses and bomber jackets with a deep vee edging the spine. Loafers with square toes and rounded corners that come in different heel heights. Nothing has any obvious brands, yet everything is a subdued color scheme with a lipstick red accent.
She’s not really clear about what she means. (She turned down requests for interviews before the release.) However, a type of mission statement was also included with the collection: “Our goal is to create a product that reflects permanence.” The goal of the Phoebe Philo business model is to responsibly balance demand and output. This means, for us, creating noticeably less than we had anticipated wanting.
She is attempting to grow her fan base rather than creating a global brand.
Imagine the line as a cross between Supreme and Loro Piana: rare and erratic drops, or “edits,” that are supposed to arouse customer urgency and desire, but only on luxury items (which are highly costly) that are meant to be collected gradually. The website has a range of models, all of whom were shot without makeup, including her longterm partner Daria Werbowy as well as an older lady and a man. This is not a fantasy about fashion. The topic is fashion reality.
Most women eventually tire of completely changing their clothes with every season and instead want to add subtleties, like a garment here or an item there. That life stage appears to have been achieved by Ms. Philo, who was always her best role model and realized that no matter how sensible and versatile a woman appears on the outside, she may be hiding her own twisted ambitions. Perhaps her client has as well. The select few who can afford it, anyway.
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