When Phoebe Philo announced that she would be returning to fashion, she promised to “share more” in January 2022. That was in July 2021, and it is now February 2023. Backed by LVMH, the most Philo was willing to reveal was that her namesake brand would be “rooted in exceptional quality and design” – which was enough to get Mary-Kate, Ashley, Daniel Lee, and just about every other fashion designer whose work is indebted to the designer’s tenure at Céline, quaking in their boots.
Now, an official statement has surfaced from Philo – along with a dedicated Instagram account – which might just give her acolytes something to really fret over. “Our inaugural collection will be revealed and available on our website, phoebephilo.com, in September 2023,” the IG post read. “We will be opening registration in July 2023 and look forward to being back in touch now.”
The announcement was signed off with an austere serif logo, which after Burberry’s new look, surely rings the death knell for all the corporate “blanding” which has dominated design for the last couple of years. A sisterhood of sloping silhouettes, oversized cashmere, and quirky accessories, women flocked to Philo’s collections as if they were some kind of sartorial therapist’s chair. She dressed art gallerists, academics, and authors – or at least the women who wanted to look that way – and cast Joan Didion in advertising campaigns. Whether Phoebe Philo™ will compound the quiet, cultural cognisance that first anointed her with cult cachet at Céline is a matter of speculation.
“Being in my studio and making once again has been both exciting and incredibly fulfilling,” Philo said when she first announced her comeback. “I am very much looking forward to being back in touch with my audience and people everywhere. To be independent, to govern and experiment on my own terms is hugely significant to me.”