Eye: As Phoebe Philo Prepares To Leave Céline, Will She Sink Deeply Into Her British Roots?

Eye: As Phoebe Philo Prepares To Leave Céline, Will She Sink Deeply Into Her British Roots?

Phoebe Philo is officially leaving Céline, after a decade spent restoring and reinvigorating the LVMH label as a favorite of powerful, working women. WWD reports that Philo's last collection for the label will debut at Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2018, with succeeding collections crafted by various Céline employees until a new creative director is appointed. 

In a brief statement announcing the news, Ms. Philo thanked her team, and Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the luxury group that owns Céline, said: “What Phoebe has accomplished over the past 10 years represents a key chapter in the history of Céline. We are very grateful to Phoebe for having contributed to the great momentum of this Maison. A new era of development for Céline will now start, and I am extremely confident in the future success of this iconic Maison.”

Binx Walton & Selena Forrest Wear Céline Spring 2018 Collection, Lensed By Talia Chetrit

Binx Walton & Selena Forrest Wear Céline Spring 2018 Collection, Lensed By Talia Chetrit

Céline Creative Director Phoebe Philo reminds us why modern women love her design aesthetic. Models Binx Walton and Selena Forrest join Ellinor Arveryd showcase the Spring 2018 collection, lensed by Talia Chetrit./ Hair by David Harborow; makeup by Stephanie Kunz

LVMH Arnault Vision Cools On 'L'Enfant Terrible' Designers

LVMH Arnault Vision Cools On ‘L’Enfant Terrible’ Designers AOC Style

Arnault has been dazzled by Céline, a brand enjoying triple-digit growth, even in critical emerging markets like China where glitz continues to tantalize the nouveau riche. In 2010, Asia—excluding Japan— was the largest market for all LVMH products.

The chairman admits that his daughter Delphine is working at Dior, “but she wears Céline.”

Writing in early March Wanted at Dior | Super Creative, Low Drama, Confident Not Abrasive Designer Who Loves Women, I said:

Philo doesn’t have the uber-intellectual pedigree of Riccardo Tisci. She’s more like Marc Jacobs with a strong vision of what women want to wear every day and an excellent eye for handbags and accessories. 

It goes without saying that I would LOVE to see a woman designer at Dior, but I think Phoebe is a long-shot.

What Bernard Arnault doesn’t want right now is an arrogant “his highness” designer or a tortured soul. The world is in a fragile place, and there’s no room for drama queen creatives or tortured personalities.

Can one be creative and not full of drama?  Many people on this list prove that you can be.

Opening Ceremony @Kenzo

Earlier this week LVMH put a new design team in place at Kenzo. Designer Kenzo Takada retired in 1999, and the brand has continued under the design direction of Sardinian designer Antonio Marras since 2004.