Ever since the baby doll dresses and stacked wooden heels popularised during her reign at Chloé in the Nineties, Phoebe Philo has imprinted herself onto fashion's collective conscious as the go to designer for luxury, wearable staples that women want to wear. I, like every other fashion fanatic, have followed Philo's evolution from the romantic Chloé days to the more grown up, pulled together aesthetic at Céline and find myself victim to what can only be described as the current Philo epidemic. Inspired both by Philo's personal and professional style, I was interested to read this profile of the designer via The Independent website. Philo's straightforward, industrious approach to the world of fashion design, reflected in her classic, discreet creations comes as a breath of fresh air in an industry renowned for its frivolity. "I think it's quite liberating for women not to have to be so preoccupied with different silhouettes, with different things," she says. It is this no-fuss, substantial approach that has struck a chord with the educated, modern women who comprises the brand's primary market. The success of Céline undoubtedly lies in its wearability factor and relevance to the current economic climate. As much as we can admire the effort and hours of grooming gone into the larger than life outfits of the likes of Anna Dello Russo, it is currently much more desirable to be able to throw on perfectly cut pair of cropped trousers or a simple shift within a mere matter of minutes without having to forsake that million dollar feeling.
"I absolutely love fashion. I love doing new things and finding ways to swerve in a different direction. But one of the reasons why I try to use fabrics and cuts that don't go out of fashion is because I like the idea of women buying the clothes and then... I don't know what the word is... cherish sounds over-emotional for a relationship with a piece of clothing... but for a woman to feel proud, satisfied, comfortable and powerful in them, to wear them and get on with their lives." - Phoebe Philo
(photograph: Phoebe Philo by David Sims for Vogue Paris)
