This Paris Fashion Week will mark a full year since Phoebe Philo ‘s departure from Céline Celine. And with the Fall ’19 runway show a few days away, we’re still hopelessly lingering over her heyday — when legions of women discovered their inner power pose through the brand’s quiet but bold coolness. Philo’s historic knack for volume, layering, unapologetic prints and general sense of irony all infused the brand with a preternatural icon status.
Gabrielle Boucinha, founder of the much-followed Instagram account @oldceline, summed it up when we interviewed her last year, comparing the designer to Coco Chanel — a woman renowned for thoroughly upending women’s fashion from top to toe. "It was very liberating to see a fashion house present women with what they actually want to wear," said Boucinha of Philo-era Celine. "We don’t always want to wear a tight sequined mini dress. We want to wear a dragging-on-the-floor dress with sneakers."
It might be too early to call Philo’s 2008-2018 period "vintage," but maybe we can use the term the way vintners do: to describe any period of time that was remarkable simply because it gave rise to the designer’s much-imitated aesthetic. So imitated, in fact, it’s become almost universal in the fashion lexicon, and you can find the now-iconic references everywhere. And as Philo-era Celine continues to sell out on resale sites, we’ve taken the liberty of finding other wearable tributes to the designer’s legacy, albeit with some reasonably cheaper price-tags. So feel free to keep that #OldCeline flame flicker…we’re with you.
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Shopping Destination: COS
#OldCeline Vibes: Tactful Tailoring
The Swedish retailer has long been our go-to for simple-but-impactful silhouettes that won’t put too much of a dent on the balance sheet. We love the Philo-inspired lines on this monochrome skirt and blouse look: an origami-folded pant or skirt paired with a matching-button down was often seen on her runway.
COS BELTED COTTON SKIRT, $125, available at COS
COS TRANSPARENT SHIRT, $125, available at COS
Shopping Destination: Asos — seriously
#OldCeline Vibes: All The Right Angles
No matter your style, there’s probably something for you at UK-based retailer Asos. Being Phoebe Philo fans, one of our go-tos is its in-house White brand, which offers a healthy mix of masculine/feminine silhouettes and eye-catching volume that we’d always come to expect from Celine.
ASOS WHITE ASOS WHITE denim maxi over coat, $127, available at ASOS
Shopping Destination: Arket
#OldCeline Vibes: Quiet Elegance
Danish retailer Arket brings a subtle #OldCeline quality to its wide array of apparel, serving up wardrobe staples that feel essential and constantly wearable, but never boring.
Arket Merino Box Jacket, $125, available at Arket
Shopping Destination: Need Supply
#OldCeline Vibes: Unexpected Basics
When a color hits the right note, it can blend just as seamlessly into an outfit as any of its "basic" brethren like black, white, or khaki. Phoebe Philo often deployed this just-right shade of cerulean throughout her tenure at Celine, using it to color luminous satin maxi dresses and monochrome suiting. This favored blue has re-emerged in an edgy faux-leather skirt from Need Supply’s in-house brand, Need.
NEED A-Line Faux Leather Skirt in Blue, $159.99, available at Need Supply
Shopping Destination: Mr. Larkin
#OldCeline Vibes: In Trousers We Trust
Women loved Phoebe for her creativity with pants, be they oversized, unexpectedly tailored, or half-hidden under skirts. Online retailer Mr. Larkin has luckily filled the void, serving up an array of compliment-grabbing trousers in cool and architectural shapes.
Mr. Larkin Babe Pant, $240, available at Mr. Larkin
Shopping Destination: Mango
#OldCeline Vibes: Gallery-Worthy Patterns
There was a moment when Zara was referred to by some as “Zéline” for its uncanny similarities to Celine-esque silhouettes ripped directly from the current season’s runway. Current day Mango is a bit more subtle in embracing the vibe. The retailer always impresses us in the color department, deploying elevated hues and eye-catching prints with Philo-esque elegance. (We were also excited to see a cast of age-diverse models in the most recent Mango campaign — ageism is something Phoebe defied with her celebration of women of all ages.) We love the knife pleats and striated, painterly waves on this printed pleated skirt that can be paired with a matching top, too.
Mango Printed pleated skirt, $79.98, available at Mango
Mango Striped blouse, $59.99, available at Mango
Shopping Destination: Pixie Market
#OldCeline Vibes: Masculin Féminin
This Lower East Side based-boutique offers an enviable array of structured, borrowed-from-the-boys tops in the vein of some of our favorite bygone Celine collections, in addition to more fitted pieces that celebrate the female form. We love this workwear -inspired vegan leather shirt — perhaps to layer over an on-trend lime green turtleneck.
Pixie Market Brown Vegan Leather Shirt, $139, available at Pixie Market
Pixie Market Neon Short Sleeve Turtleneck Top, $40, available at Pixie Market
Shopping Destination: Shaina Mote
#OldCeline Vibes: A pared-back palette
Indie darling Shaina Mote has been quietly delivering a restrained, neutral color-powered line of architectural staples wardrobe staples since her brand’s inception in 2012. Old Celine was known for a powerful use of black and white, and this LA-based brand has become a go-to for fashion people in its absence.
Shaina Mote Hira Top, $322, available at Totokaelo
Shopping Destination: The RealReal
#OldCeline Vibes: Actual Old Celine Céline
Still on the hunt for the real thing? Thanks to the explosion of online-consignment websites that specialize in authenticated designer goods (The RealReal, Vestaire Collective, Resee) you can still shop pieces that Philo herself actually designed to round out your Philophile collection. (Although, if you’re interested in one of those coveted alphabet pendants, start saving your pennies now.)
Céline Tweed Long Coat, $1095, available at The RealReal
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Source: Refinery29 – Emily Ruane