Phoebe Philo parts ways with Céline: the end of an era

The fashion industry stumbles in sheer surprise as Céline puts an end to an era: its acclaimed creative director, French designer Phoebe Philo, leaves the luxury powerhouse after a decade dictating what the world wears.

“What Phoebe has accomplished over the past 10 years represents a key chapter in the history of Céline. We are very grateful to Phoebe for having contributed to the great momentum of this maison. A new era of development for Céline will now start and I am extremely confident in the future success of this iconic maison,” summarised Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH, Céline's parent company, the new headwinds shaking the French luxury fashion powerhouse.

Philo took the reins of the iconic luxury label in 2008, after a five-year tenure as creative director at Chloe. Until that moment, the world’s most understated luxury house barely had a presence on the fashion scene since Michael Kors' reign in the nineties.

“Working with Céline has been an exceptional experience for me these last 10 years,” said Philo in a statement. “I am grateful to have worked with an incredibly talented and committed team and I would like to thank everyone along the way who has been a part of the collaborations and conversations… it’s been amazing” the designer further added.

What will the future bring for Philo?

The news has taken the industry by storm, as after such a prolific relationship, very few – if so – can imagine a future for Céline without its soulmate. As an example of how deep the relationship has gone for the designer and her playhouse, LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods group which owns the house, transformed working practices and moved the atelier from Paris to London to accommodate Philo's desire to be closer to her family.

Industry sources have echoed the rumours about the designer’s possible move to another luxury fashion giant: Philo has been much dubbed as a likely successor to Christopher Bailey at Burberry. However, sources close to the matter quoted by ‘WWD’ assured she “will not work for another label in the near future.”

Although financial results for Céline alone are not available, Philo is thought to have helped fuel a rise in sales from 200 million euro to more than 700 million euro, highlighted the ‘New York Times’.

Furthermore, Philo has returned Céline to the forefront of trendsetting, from ugly shoes to the ‘woman dressed by women’ philosophy that has seen a revival of understated elegance and practicality; an essence that has been copied and emulated by everyone in the fashion world, from Victoria Beckham to Zara and Forever21.

Photo Credits: Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images North America / AFP