Phoebe Philo A1 is here!

Hello friends,

I’m sure we can all agree that Phoebe Philo’s launch was a much-needed distraction from the absolute craziness going on in the world. On Monday I have been checking my phone since 6 am and preparing myself to be decisive and quick. At 4 pm I reloaded the page for the hundredth time, and it was there!! A few minutes later I got an email notification, but I was already lost in the new Phoebe Philo collection called A1.

The campaign is gorgeous; I am obsessed with every image. It was shot by Talia Chetrit, a New York-based photographer who already worked with Phoebe on Céline Pre-Fall 2017 and Resort 2017 campaigns.

I didn’t have a feeling I was looking at something completely new and industry disruptive, it was a continuation of Céline. It was more about reconfirming Phoebe Philo’s vision and recreating her signature pieces in a slightly transformed way. I discussed this with my friend Karolina, and she said that she missed this newness she always felt with Céline. Every collection shook you and made you change your mind, while Phoebe Philo A1 made you agree with something you’ve already known. But for me, it was reassuring in a way.

I clicked “View All” to get an idea about the prices. I was prepared for them to be high, but what made an actual difference to me was seeing a specific piece at a particular price and unconsciously comparing it to the Céline pieces I already have or can find on resale. I was scrolling and moving from one section to another, from shoes to accessories. At one point I was even thinking not to buy anything because to pay €1000 for a pair of shoes didn’t make sense in this moment of my life. Initially I was planning to buy jewellery, but I was not impressed with it, at least from the first drop. Clothes and bags were much more expensive (€3600 for a trench coat and €6800 for a gorgeous XL Cabas). My dilemma was that I would wear everything in a heartbeat, but did I want to spend this kind of money? And again, I was thinking that I can get similar Céline pieces for a much lower resale prices (sharing some ideas later on). All of this under the time pressure and the pace things were getting sold out with.

Finally I decided to buy the Peak sunglasses (even if I already had the Céline Edge sunglasses) just to have something from the first drop, solely for the collection. And I really wanted to see the packaging.

The list of shipping destinations didn’t load right, and I kept getting errors when I tried to pay. Few minutes later I finally received a letter with the number of my order, but I had to wait for a confirmation. I was kind of excited, but still not sure if my payment went through. Next morning I received a cancellation letter. And some of my friends got these too. Maybe we weren’t fast enough, but seems like it was a technical error, which was very frustrating.

Anyway, I’m more upset of the fact that I didn't manage to get anything from this drop than not getting the sunglasses. But as I always say, everything will appear on Vestiaire sooner or later (I guess sooner), and I will have time to think if I actually need it.

Sometimes it’s not even about the amount of money you’re ready to spend, you just want to think it over. To be more conscious about what you’re buying, to analyse if your wardrobe is actually missing this piece. With Phoebe Philo’s launch you had to decide now. And again - if you already have some Céline pieces, it’s not a simple decision.

In my previous newsletter I shared some similarities and references with Céline, but finding them in the actual Phoebe Philo pieces was even more satisfying. So if you didn’t buy anything like me, here are some Céline options for you!

Céline Resort 2017 / Phoebe Philo A1

Céline SS 2018 / Phoebe Philo A1

Céline Alphabet / Phoebe Philo A1

Céline Resort 2017 / Phoebe Philo A1

Céline FW 2016 / Phoebe Philo A1

Céline Pre-Fall 2017 / Phoebe Philo A1

And I will say it again and again - nothing will give you an emotional rush quite like finding a coveted piece on resale. It might take years, but it also will make it priceless for you.

Please share if you bought anything on Monday, I saw some Phoebe Philo orders are already arriving on (a lucky few) people’s feeds!

With love,

Veronika