Looking at any Céline collection is a kind of meditative process, an exercise in trying to tune into the shifts that are flowing through Phoebe Philo’s sensibilities. Fashion ascribed her that guru-like status a long time ago: We look up to her as one of the leads, the high-up thinkers who can give definitive form to feelings about being ourselves, women in the world.
Somehow, it is increasingly about refinement, oddness, and covering up—the total, diametric clothing opposite of the imagery of women in reality-show culture. Perhaps even a kind of intellectual armor of resistance against that world? In that sense, this is a collection that shows the way for nonconformist women to express themselves as grown-ups. It encompasses eccentricity, non-normality, and an invitation to pick out and de-layer the bits and pieces.
And there are lots of layers, mainly long, narrow tunics over pants, an earlier iteration of the proposal Philo put out in her last show (Pre-Fall was presented in January). That look, with its potential bulk, isn’t for everyone in literal form—but who takes fashion literally these days? The tunics, obviously, can be dresses, too—the gorgeous suede ones in mauve or loden green being notable as potential wardrobe investments for all time. Most women would take away the pants from under the lovely micro-floral print midi dress, too. Looks cool in the picture, but it’s only styling.
Otherwise, there’s the oversizing of outerwear and tailored jackets to consider; the addition of silver pendants of the ’70s art-jewelry genre; “croissant” pouch bags on fine chain handles; baggy, round-toed stack-heeled knee boots; and a palette of creamy-beige, burgundy, cinnamon, absinthe, and loden green.
It would be overdoing it to read this interim collection as a statement or to read any profound prescribed meaning into any one thing. The meaning is what the woman herself gives the piece, the context she puts it in, the extent to which it becomes part of her life: That’s Céline-style feminism for you.
