An instant journey to the small history of Phoebe Philo's creation in Céline is much more nostalgic than I think.
Spring 2014
The editors and buyers, as well as customers, are praising Phoebe Philo over and over again, for what she crafts under the French house, Céline. I, on the other hand, have had difficulties channeling myself to the house's creation, as it exudes--pardon my word--awkward simplicity I cannot bring myself to. So here is my attempt to get acquainted at mere seconds to the world of Céline, the Philo reigning period to be exact, by extracting my favourite looks/pieces from several seasons of the brand and imagining myself having limitless bank account so I can have them in my closet. That way, I assume, would help me appreciate Philo's aesthetics that somewhat empowers women through what they wear. After all, credits for Céline almost always contain the words versatile, accessible, simple and relate-able if not luxurious and modern.
First up is the blues
Fall 2013/ Spring 2010
White has shades, too
Fall 2013/ Resort 2011
...and it is called creme. I know, I know those two colours are noticeably different, both of which are the neutrals and will always be. This time I imagine keeping myself a dress from the Fall 2013--the dress at the first glimpse appears unbelievably genius and at the second infinitely wearable. Meanwhile from the Resort 2011, the non-existent season, a slight stroke of colors on the pure white separates manages to amp up what otherwise is a sporty pairing. Must. Have.
Dark meets bright
Resort 2010/ Spring 2010
Perhaps not a lot of women fancy the pairing of light and dark back then, but now, it is everything modernism has to do. Well, probably not everything. But the cape-like top on from Céline spring collection on the right is EVERYTHING. I seriously consider that it is one of the prototype of the cape-ubiquity today, the ones designed with such airy yet structured feel. At the same token, the suit and top combo relinquishes "too uptight" once the flowing part of the top emerges. It is dark meets bright meets brilliant.
The effortless neutral
Resort 2014/ Resort 2010
If you are the ones shying away from wearing neutrals because the shades can make you appear nude, I am with you. But if you are the ones resisting oversize vest/parka like the one from resort 2010 installment, I am afraid I am not with you. Maybe it is the patchwork talking, or the oversize shape persuading, but this is an archetype of successful dressing: picking a statement outerwear that understates everything. Meanwhile, the Asian inspired top and pants from the recent 2014 collection are mere extensions of what kind of neutrals we all should be aiming for.
Unexpected is always in
Spring 2014/ Fall 2012
Lastly, after a wardrobe/retrospective/whatever full of basic colours and shapes, it is about time to let striking pieces kicking in. It is the artsy season, the spring 2014, and the watercolour dress filled with strokes of Philo's artsy inspirations is reasonable to don. The structured upper part and flowing bottom part summarise precisely the future of dress, and possibly the future of femininity. And what is fall without Céline big coat? Or at least, let's get something in similar styling. With the red pants, of course.
Images are all from style.com
