Preparing for Phoebe Philo - Mentally and Physically

I screamed(!!) the moment the notification popped up on my screen. Subject line: 30 October 2023. From: Phoebe Philo. We all have been waiting for so long for this very moment. I ran to show it to my husband and the next second I was pausing the video and making screenshots to pinpoint as much details as possible. It’s the first time we saw something and by something I mean 38 photographs combined in a gif.

I remember how I used to gasp every time a new Céline collection was shown. Every season there was something I hadn’t seen before, but it was always so exquisite I was mesmerised. I don’t think I had this with any other designer or brand, Phoebe Philo’s Céline was forever my influence, my aspiration, my pursuit. I was 19 when I saw Spring 2010 RTW runway collection and I still remember my surprise that something so simple could be so beautiful. That’s how I wanted to look and to feel. Of course I couldn’t afford it at that time, but I was looking for the silhouettes, colors, combinations wherever I could. Fast forward to thirteen years later when I feel absolutely the same looking at the first Phoebe Philo images.

And as I was looking at these new images, something Céline kept popping up in my head, so I thought I would share these cross references - and not only because I was hoping to find them, it’s rather I couldn’t not notice them.

"Every chair I use a lot has a sheepskin on it. They're comfy, warm, soft, gentle and raw" - Phoebe Philo (The Gentlewoman issue no. 12)

shape of the new sunglasses reminded me of the ones from Resort 2018 lookbook

high neck sweater was always a statement Céline piece

this photo reminded me of the studded ballet flats from Spring 2015 collection

this fur texture made me think of the alpaca mules from Spring 2018

new sunglasses look quite similar to the Edge sunglasses

“There’s something about the interior of the car […] that’s very complete. To achieve this timelessness and functionality is really impressive” - Phoebe Philo (The Gentlewoman issue no. 12)

There were many speculations about what Phoebe Philo pieces will look like, and one of them was that it will be a continuation of her Céline, and finding these little hints confirmed it for me (but I’m certain there will be more to it). As she said,

“That’s fashion, the bit that moves. But there’s something very nice about having something that stays still too.”¹

Sometimes I wish I had less of this moving part. I had my eras of The Row, Acne Studios, Toteme, Jil Sander; I was always excited to receive another beautiful Matches Fashion box. And with all of the brands existing in the similar space, I still wish I didn’t wander off. But that’s an interesting thing when you have a choice, right? Or rather a budget. Now when I don’t have it, it becomes so clear and obvious what I actually long for.

There’s something about how I feel in Céline clothes that I never got with any other brand, there was never such a strong connection stretched out over the years. I evolved and grew into my style with Phoebe Philo’s pieces.

I’m not sure what it is with my determination being dressed in one brand only, but I guess I was always a very consistent person. I like the same things and it is very hard for me to part with them. Maybe that’s why I’m so drawn to Céline, to Phoebe Philo’s vision. She said about her Céline core pieces - “the things I’ll like till the day I die”². I strongly relate to that. I’m ok to experiment, but I don’t want to change every season.

This leads me to some more practical thoughts. It’s obvious that prices for Phoebe Philo will be pretty high and everything will be sold out rather quickly, so should I sell something while I still have some time? What is left to sell? I was quite consistently clearing out my non-Céline wardrobe having lots of regrets and replacing it with Céline finds. But there are still some pieces I might sell relatively quickly like The Row mesh flats or Jil Sander beaded baller flats, but do I want to? The answer will probably be on my Vestiaire page by the time this newsletter goes live.

But overall, I’m super excited to see the collection even if I don’t buy anything from the first drop. My friend Frédérique shared that it would be really hard for her to buy things that she hasn’t touched or tried on. I share her frustration on the one hand, on the other I’m quite used to buying things I’ve never seen in real life. But sizes might be tricky. For now I decided to buy one piece of jewellery and one pair of shoes, but let’s see how I feel in 26 days!

Oh, almost forgot, someone from Phoebe Philo watched my story! So cool :)

Let me know what you think of the upcoming launch,

Veronika

1. The House of Céline article from The Gentlewoman issue no. 12

2. The House of Céline article from The Gentlewoman issue no. 12