Few designer eras have been celebrated with as much fanfare as Phoebe Philo’s tenure at C(é)line. When Philo departed Celine in 2017, her cult-like following of fans, affectionately known as the Philophiles, collectively mourned her departure.
Her tenure was not only a significant time for the House, but it was also monumental to the fashion (and handbag) world. Philo was responsible for an impressive number of handbag hits, including the iconic Trio, which was named after the three zipped compartments that make up the bag.
The Trio Bag: A Forever Icon
The bag, beloved for its pragmatic appeal—the three compartments could be worn snapped together or separated for more or less room—is also an accurate representation of Philo’s sleek, signature aesthetic. Years after Philo’s departure, and nearly fifteen years after the Trio bag’s debut, it remains one of Celine’s most beloved designs, and it is highly sought after on the secondary market.
Michael Rider, who, in his short time at the House, has proven his ability to marry old Celine with the new, is paying homage to the Trio this spring, and we are obsessed.
Arriving just in time for holiday gifting, the Celine Trio Flap also melds the old with the new—its rectangular shape is fitted with an interior zippered compartment and two outer pockets. True to its name, this new version is finished with a flap that folds over and snaps closed, unlike the original, which only had zippers.
Michael Rider’s Modern Take on a Classic
Elevated with functional knots on the bag’s straps that act as both a design detail and a way to adjust the strap, the Trio offers form, function, and chic, understated style—a true homage to the past of Celine and its next chapter.
The Celine Trio Flap is crafted from soft lambskin and lined in suede, with neutral options, such as black and tan, as well as vibrant colors like burgundy (my personal favorite) and citrus, which are easy to incorporate into your wardrobe.
Priced at just under $ 2,000, the Celine Trio Flap feels like a luxe yet usable buy for a reasonable price by today’s standards. What do you think?
can’t stand that new logo – just stick with the foil stamped celine
The zippers were an essential component of its usability. The flap will not be nearly as efficient. A flap reduces the percentage of overstuffing possible as well as being less secure.
I can just see most people carrying it open because they don’t care to force it closed.
I tried this bag in store today… I just really couldn’t stand the excess string hanging out on both sides of the bag. It really cheapens the look.
Why can’t they do a sleek adjustable strap instead of this string knot mess.
Why are they skimping on the zippers?
Cheaper materials (nicely worded „new construction“) plus elevated price = higher margin
The ties make it look tacky and seem unnecessary
the ties are to adjust the length of the strap and convert into a crossbody.
Was there a price drop? Celine website now advertises this at $1,650.
The trio bag in terms of construction is definitely not invented by Phoebe at Celine.
You can find this construction in a lot of vintage bags from the 60’s and 70’s. She did make it a “cool” again though.
The leather ties on the ends look a lot like Phoebe’s gig bag
wait under $2K for lambskin?? that’s actually not bad for Celine nowadays. kinda tempted to treat myself for the holidays lol