Phoebe Philo

Phoebe Philo is the founder, artistic director and majority owner of her namesake, LVMH-backed direct-to-consumer label. The long-awaited venture, which finally launched in October 2023, spans clothing and accessories, fusing the luxe minimalism Philo is best known for with a raw, shredded edge, BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks observed. 

Before starting her own brand, Philo spent 10 years as creative director at LVMH-owned Celine, which she transformed from a sleepy bourgeois label into a much-copied global fashion force that generated $900 million in annual sales, according to analyst estimates, before her 2017 exit. Her work at the house, known for its unfussy minimalist aesthetic, attracted a loyal fanbase of “Philophiles” and redefined what many women aspired to wear.

Philo studied at Central Saint Martins before joining her friend Stella McCartney at Chloé as her first assistant in 1997. Following McCartney’s exit from Chloé in 2001, Philo took over the reins of the house as creative director, turning the house into one of Paris Fashion Week’s most coveted invites and a commercial success thanks to her effortless, feminine creations and profitable “It” bag designs, such as the Paddington, which launched in 2005.

Philo resigned from Chloé in 2006, taking a step back from the fast-paced fashion industry, but after a two-year hiatus, returned to the industry to take the job at Celine. With regards to her aesthetic, Philo told British Vogue, “I felt it was time for a more back-to-reality approach to fashion, clothes that are beautiful, strong and have ideas, but with real life driving them.” Her sentiments reflected the mood of the moment and resulted in  a new roster of cult items, including the much-copied luggage tote, driving double-digit growth for the label.

In December 2017, it was announced Philo would leave Celine after its Autumn/Winter 2018 presentation, taking a hiatus before confirming her return to fashion in July 2021 as the majority owner of her own clothing and accessories label, backed by her former employer LVMH. After multiple delays, the designer’s direct-to-consumer brand launched in October 2023 to much fanfare, though the venture remains small compared to the labels she previously helmed. 

“Being in my studio and making once again has been both exciting and incredibly fulfilling,” she told BoF at the time. “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.”

Philo won British Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2010, for the second time. In 2011, Philo received the International Award at the CFDA Fashion Awards and in 2014 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.