Philo, Phoebe

Phoebe Philo, (born 1973, Paris, France), British fashion designer who was creative director of the French fashion houses Chloé (2001–06) and Céline (2008–17).

Philo’s British parents were working in Paris when she was born. By the time she was two years old, the family had returned to Britain. At age 10 she began putting her own unique spin on her clothing, customizing a school leotard to mimic one worn by singer Madonna. While she was studying fashion design at Central Saint Martins College, London, she met (1994) classmate Stella McCartney. After graduating in 1996, Philo served as McCartney’s design assistant when McCartney succeeded (1997) Karl Lagerfeld as creative director of Chloé. After McCartney launched her own label, Philo in 2001 became Chloé’s creative director, and, while continuing to reinforce the brand’s aesthetic, she added a personal, playful, and sensual touch of her own. Her innovations included high-waisted jeans, baby-doll dresses, wooden wedge shoes, and the padlocked Paddington bag. Philo’s marriage and the birth of a daughter led her to step down (2006) to focus on her family and to develop her own aesthetic.

Influenced by 1990s minimalists Helmut Lang and Jil Sander, Philo adopted that philosophy for her personal style as well as for her fashion line. She eschewed makeup and donned simple clothing, often appearing in a signature biker jacket and trousers. In 2008 Möet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault offered Philo the position of creative director of LVMH’s languishing Céline brand and a board membership, and she accepted, after stipulating that she would lead the Parisian fashion house from her London home and have complete creative control. Her timeless designs for Céline combined luxury with practicality and wearability and translated effortlessly from the runway to become closet staples of modern women. Her modern box-shaped bags and Boston Tote bags became must-have accessories for young consumers. In addition, she introduced silk pants that puddled at the ankles, commodious coats inspired by menswear designs, and fur-lined Birkenstock sandals. In 2017 Philo left Céline and stepped away from the fashion industry. Four years later Philo made headlines with the announcement that she was starting her own label, Phoebe Philo, which was to debut in 2022. The release date was later moved to fall 2023.

The recipient of numerous honours, Philo received the British Designer of the Year awards in 2005 and 2010. In 2011 the Council of Fashion Designers of America named her the International Designer of the Year. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2014.