I am very, very interested to see what Phoebe Philo will do during her tenure at Celine. I loved the Philo years at Chloe; after all, they did spawn some pretty legendary handbags (the Paddington, anyone?). Celine made some bags I liked quite a bit last season, which was a nice turnaround from their normally staid but bland fare. I’m having some trouble figuring out if this bag is from Celine’s last collection before Philo or their first collection with her, but either way, the Celine Dimitri Python Hobo is another step in the right direction.
The thing that struck me first is the color – it’s a beautiful medium grey with strong blue undertones, and the temperature of the color is cool enough to be perfect for the forthcoming colder weather (well, forthcoming for those that don’t live in my area of the country. We have several months of scorching heat ahead of us). It’s also light enough to highlight the differentiation between the python scales, which is something I believe all bags made out of exotic materials should do – after all, if I’m paying out the nose for it, I want to see the natural beauty of the skin showcased. Indeed, most of the bag is sublime – the thick straps, the shiny silver hardware in unexpected shapes, the tonal suede accents. The only thing that gives pause is the fringe emanating from the handle attachments. I don’t hate it at all, I’m just not sure about it and think that it possibly could have been done better. I can’t imagine how, though, so maybe I’m asking too much. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $4200.
