Phoebe Philo
Encyclopedia
Phoebe Philo is a British
fashion designer and the Creative Director
of Céline
. Philo is also known for her work at Chloé
.
Philo graduated from Central Saint Martins
in 1996, a year after Stella McCartney
. She began working for Chloé
in 1997 as Stella McCartney
's design assistant, succeeding her as Creative Director in 2001, after the Gucci Group offered McCartney the opportunity to launch her own label. Philo claims that she learned a lot about design from McCartney, with many claiming that Philo added a "street sensibility" to McCartney's designs. Philo resigned from her role at Chloé on January 5, 2006. Her reasons for leaving included a desire to spend more time with her family.
Like McCartney, Philo is a vegetarian and will not work with fur
, but whereas McCartney (a strict vegetarian) will not work with leather
either, Philo will.
Philo has, at times, been credited with making Chloé "cool", as it had been in the late-1960s and 1970s under Karl Lagerfeld
.
Some of the 'It' items produced by Chloé under Phoebe Philo include high-waisted jeans and babydoll dresses, wooden wedge shoes (something of a phenomenon at the time) and stack heeled buckled boots, horn, bat and fossil butterfly necklaces and of course, the Bracelet, Camera, Silverado, Paddington (arguably the most popular It Bag
of all time), Betty and Edith handbags, which adorned the arm of every celebrity and celebrity-wannabe.
On September 4, 2008, the influential fashion portal WWDFashion announced that Bernard Arnault
, president of LVMH
, appointed Phoebe Philo as the new creative director
of Céline
. Philo replaced the Croatian born designer Ivana Omazić, who, according to LVMH, failed to transform this second league brand into one at the forefront of fashion. "By giving Philo Céline, we’re giving her a platform to express her vision," said Pierre-Yves Roussel, chief executive officer of LVMH's fashion division.
Philo has said of her appointment at Céline: "This is a really exciting step for me to be taking, with what could be seen as one of the most promising brands of the industry. I can't wait to step back into the studio and begin creating designs which will reinvigorate the brand, get customers excited about the product and work with a team that are incredibly serious and passionate about their work".
Philo is name-checked in 'Dark Fantasy', the first track on Kanye West's album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy".
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
fashion designer and the Creative Director
Creative Director
A creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
of Céline
Celine (brand)
Céline is a French luxury house founded in 1945 by Céline Vipiana. Today, it is an international luxury goods brand owned by LVMH, purchased in 1996 for 2.7 billion French francs ....
. Philo is also known for her work at Chloé
Chloé
Chloé is a French fashion house founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion. Its headquarters is in Paris.-History:Gaby Aghion was born in Alexandria, Egypt in the year 1921...
.
Philo graduated from Central Saint Martins
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
in 1996, a year after Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney is an English fashion designer. She is the daughter of former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney and the late photographer and animal rights activist, Linda McCartney.-Early life:...
. She began working for Chloé
Chloé
Chloé is a French fashion house founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion. Its headquarters is in Paris.-History:Gaby Aghion was born in Alexandria, Egypt in the year 1921...
in 1997 as Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney is an English fashion designer. She is the daughter of former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney and the late photographer and animal rights activist, Linda McCartney.-Early life:...
's design assistant, succeeding her as Creative Director in 2001, after the Gucci Group offered McCartney the opportunity to launch her own label. Philo claims that she learned a lot about design from McCartney, with many claiming that Philo added a "street sensibility" to McCartney's designs. Philo resigned from her role at Chloé on January 5, 2006. Her reasons for leaving included a desire to spend more time with her family.
Like McCartney, Philo is a vegetarian and will not work with fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
, but whereas McCartney (a strict vegetarian) will not work with leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
either, Philo will.
Philo has, at times, been credited with making Chloé "cool", as it had been in the late-1960s and 1970s under Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel...
.
Some of the 'It' items produced by Chloé under Phoebe Philo include high-waisted jeans and babydoll dresses, wooden wedge shoes (something of a phenomenon at the time) and stack heeled buckled boots, horn, bat and fossil butterfly necklaces and of course, the Bracelet, Camera, Silverado, Paddington (arguably the most popular It Bag
It Bag
It Bag is a colloquial term from the fashion industry used in the 1990s and 2000s to describe a brand or type of high-priced designer handbag by makers such as Hermès or Fendi that becomes a popular best-seller.-History:...
of all time), Betty and Edith handbags, which adorned the arm of every celebrity and celebrity-wannabe.
On September 4, 2008, the influential fashion portal WWDFashion announced that Bernard Arnault
Bernard Arnault
Bernard Arnault is a French business magnate who is best known as the chairman and CEO of the French conglomerate LVMH. According to Forbes Magazine, Arnault is the world's 4th and Europe's richest person, with a 2011 net worth of US$41 billion.-Education and business career:Arnault was born...
, president of LVMH
LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A., better known as LVMH, is a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris, Île-de-France, France. The company was formed after the 1987 merger of fashion house Louis Vuitton with Moët Hennessy, a company formed after the 1971 merger...
, appointed Phoebe Philo as the new creative director
Creative Director
A creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
of Céline
Celine (brand)
Céline is a French luxury house founded in 1945 by Céline Vipiana. Today, it is an international luxury goods brand owned by LVMH, purchased in 1996 for 2.7 billion French francs ....
. Philo replaced the Croatian born designer Ivana Omazić, who, according to LVMH, failed to transform this second league brand into one at the forefront of fashion. "By giving Philo Céline, we’re giving her a platform to express her vision," said Pierre-Yves Roussel, chief executive officer of LVMH's fashion division.
Philo has said of her appointment at Céline: "This is a really exciting step for me to be taking, with what could be seen as one of the most promising brands of the industry. I can't wait to step back into the studio and begin creating designs which will reinvigorate the brand, get customers excited about the product and work with a team that are incredibly serious and passionate about their work".
Philo is name-checked in 'Dark Fantasy', the first track on Kanye West's album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy".