Constance Jablonski, Natasha Poly and Jacquelyn Jablonski in Céline
Yes, I do miss Ivana, but… well… one must move on. Seeing the first look from the new collection at the French house of Céline is surely a pleasant surprise. What? It’s leather for spring/summer! So tough, yet so absolutely chic! These contrasting elements certainly create the chemical sparks for a blasting introduction to the second super charming collection by British designer Phoebe Philo for Céline.
Freja Beha Erichsen, Karmen Pedaru and Frida Gustavsson in Céline
For Spring/Summer 2010, Ms. Philo offered the wardrobe of a warrior for Céline’s strong, smart and chic women. Leather, consequently, is the choice of fabric in mind. The celebrated former Chloé-designer made dresses, tops, accessories and embellishments out of it, then, paired these different looks with super-high open-toed chunky wooden platform heels to create a powerful look that feels and looks contemporary – something that is still rather important for spring/summer 2010’s customers, despite signs of economic recovery. Afterall, who wants to dress outdated?
Hanne Gaby Odiele, Bregje Heinen and Sophie Srej in Céline
The importance of a pair of great pants for a woman nowadays is emphasised when Ms. Philo closed the show not with a traditional long column gown, but rather with the extraordinary Estonian model Karmen Pedaru in a pair of long and lose trousers in sandy beige. It is something that feels modern and so revolutionary for Céline’s independent women! Who says a woman must restrict herself only to dresses in the evening? 2010 will surely bring about new changes for a better world.
Yulia Leontieva, Iris Strubegger and Freja Beha Erichsen in Céline
The best thing of all, I find, about this collection is that its streamlined cuts, its soft and subtle colour coordination and its clever finishing touches are not only perfect for Céline current core customers: the older age group; but also it introduces interests in younger women. For example I can surely imagine anyone from 16 to 61 or above (Nudge nudge, wink wink, Anna Wintour and Carmen Dell’Orefice) wearing the cement-grey-colored coat-dress with leather-lacing finishes (as worn by Karmen Pedaru on the runway), because there is a unique character about the clothes – it brings out the elegance of the wearer and flatters her regardless of age. That is truly something difficult to achieve and I believe many labels have tried to get there before (Doh, Escada!), but without much success; and I am happy to say that Ms. Philo has successfully landed on that ground!
Eglė Tvirbutaitė, Karmen Pedaru and Sharon Kavjian in Céline
All in all, the work of a prodigal talent speaks for themselves and I think Ms. Philo’s reign at Céline will be long and prosperous… well… that is, of course only, if she chooses to stay with the French luxury fashion house and not venture solitarily in the wild world, like many established self-labeled designers. I certainly can’t wait to see more from her for Céline, but for now, I am dying for the pretty white dress Latvian model Yulia Leontieva wears. Well… You know? Spring/Summer and white dresses never part.
Tags: American Model, Austrian Models, Bregje Heinen, British designer Phoebe Philo, Carmen Dell'Orefice, Chloé, Constance Jablonski, Croatian designer Ivana Omazić, Danish Models, Dutch models, Eglė Tvirbutaitė, Escada, Estonian Model, Freja Beha Erichsen, French luxury house Céline, French Models, Frida Gustavsson, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Hungarian Models, Iris Strubegger, Jacquelyn Jablonski, Karmen Pedaru, Latvian models, Lithuanian Models, Natasha Polevshchikova, Natasha Poly, Russian Model, Sharon Kavjian, Sophie Srej, Swedish Models, Vogue US Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, Yulia Leontieva