While many of us were traveling, cooking or enjoying family time, LVMH dropped some bombshell news: Phoebe Philo is leaving Céline, where she has been creative director for nearly a decade. The move had been rumored for months, if not years, but not it’s finally official. According to Vogue, her last Céline collection will be Pre-Fall 2018, which will be presented to press in Paris in January.
It’s difficult to overstate how important Philo’s tenure at Céline has been to the accessories world in the last decade; she’s presided over an impressive number of hits at the brand, including both attention-getting It Bags like the Luggage Tote and the recently discontinued Trapeze Bag, as well as more subtle, workaday options like the bestselling Trio Bag and Cabas Tote.
Before she was at Céline, Philo oversaw Chloé during the era of the Paddington and Silverado bags, so her next move will be of enormous interest to anyone who loves bags—she has an unrivaled track record of modern hits. There’s no word on where she’ll eventually land, but this exit is her own choice and the popular feeling seems to be that she’ll likely take some time off before returning to fashion. That prediction is in line with the leave she took after bowing out at Chloé to look after her young children. Whatever Philo does, we hope she’ll be back soon.
