Céline is a French luxury brand known for its classic feminine style and simple aesthetic. Originally a children's shoe business, the company evolved into a full-fledged fashion house, and was purchased by LVMH in 1996 for $540 million. Michael Kors was hired as creative director in 1997 and designed for the label until 2004. He is credited for turning the fashion house around with groundbreaking RTW collections and accessories. After Kors' departure, the label lost its momentum with lackluster collections from Roberto Menichetti (Spring & Fall 2005) and Ivana Omazic (Spring 2006-9). Finally in 2009, Céline met its savior: Phoebe Philo. Bringing with her the "cool" factor from Chloé, her Fall 2009 collection was a breath of fresh air for the ailing label. Simultaneously, LVMH decided to revamp the brand's image, starting by adding an accent to the "e" -- no doubt a tactic to project a more luxurious, Parisian image. Following the success of its latest Fall 2011 collection, there is no doubt that Céline is back for the long run.
Céline Fall Collections (2000-2011):
Michael Kors brought his expertise in classic American sportswear to the traditional Céline woman and delivered insightful, coherent collections.
Fall 2000:
Fall 2004:
Roberto Menichetti's only Fall collection deviated too much from Céline's classic tailored image.
Fall 2005:
Ivana Omazic's collections were incoherent and borderline schizophrenic. Her silhouettes shifted constantly between structured and soft, feminine and masculine.
Fall 2006:
Fall 2008:
And then came Phoebe Philo. Her collections take the classically chic Céline woman and give her little 'tude, and the latest Fall 2011 collection is no exception. Philo expresses the "luxury automobile" theme through cool leather accents: e.g., two-toned part-leather pants, leather cuffed coats, silk/leather-blocked dresses, and leather blazer/fur coats.
Fall 2011:
images courtesy of style.com
No comments:
Post a Comment