L'OFFICIEL looks back at the former C&eacute;line designer's legacy as the fashion industry anxiously awaits the debut of her recently announced namesake brand.

Phoebe Philo knows what women want. From 2001 to 2017, the British designer successfully resuscitated two dying fashion houses and defined desirable womenswear a dozen times over in the process. During her five-year stint at <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/gabriela-hearst-creative-director-chloe-fashion-designer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chlo&eacute;</a> and 10-year tenure at <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/phoebe-philo-exits-celine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C&eacute;line</a>, she became the fashion industry&rsquo;s most revered authority when it came to dressing the modern woman, and her <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/runway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">runway</a> shows attracted top street style stars and photographers alike during fashion week. Now, the designer is officially making a comeback with the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/phoebe-philo-studios-lvmh-new-brand-celine">announcement</a> of the Phoebe Philo Studio brand, a clothing and accessories label "rooted in exceptional quality and design."&nbsp;
Philo's&nbsp;2001 to 2006 tenure at Chlo&eacute; defined&nbsp;womenswear. Fashion at large was captivated by the&nbsp;effortless bohemian femininity and a&nbsp;fresh take on leather goods. Under Philo, the French fashion house released its first It&nbsp;bag: the massively successful 2005 Paddington, which <a href="https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/11548/wonder-women-of-chloe-phoebe-philo-stella-mccartney-natacha-ramsay-levi-aw19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased Chlo&eacute;&rsquo;s sales</a> by 60 percent&nbsp;worldwide and 80 percent&nbsp;in the United States. That&rsquo;s until Philo stepped down to move back to London and spend time with family.

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During this time, Philo gave birth to her second child. The designer is no stranger to balancing motherhood and family in London with a bustling career in Paris, and her dedication to family is part of the reason why women love her so much. Her approach to maternity shows in the clothes she makes and informs her design decisions in a way that encourages women to build a wardrobe rather than give into fleeting trends. As a woman who cares about style but cares about her family even more, Philo&nbsp;fashioned wearable, believable daywear into a uniform for busy women around the world. Once she began her career at&nbsp;C&eacute;line, Philo <a href="https://fashionista.com/2012/01/celine-cancels-runway-show-due-to-phoebe-philos-pregnancy" target="_blank">canceled the house&#39;s Fall/Winter 2012 show</a> due to her pregnancy with her third child, opting for a presentation in Paris instead. While many houses might have dealt with avalanches of collateral damage from canceling a hyped-up fashion show, this decision <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2012/03/philos-maternity-makes-her-even-more-popular.html" target="_blank">strengthened</a> Philo&#39;s brand even more as the women&nbsp;who shopped C&eacute;line could attest.

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From Philo&rsquo;s appointment as creative director of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/top-fashion-company-acquisitions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LVMH&rsquo;s</a> C&eacute;line in 2008 to her last days in 2017, everyday womenswear looked like C&eacute;line: back-to-reality sophistication with streamlined silhouettes and a tonal color palette. Her sleek aesthetic ruled through nearly a decade of fashion, gaining her a loyal fan base of &ldquo;Philo-philes,&rdquo; as the fashion industry calls them. When <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/hedi-slimane-joins-celine-as-creative-director" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hedi Slimane</a> took over the brand in 2018 and dropped the accent&mdash;C&eacute;line is now <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/celine-spring-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Celine</a>&mdash;purchases of &ldquo;old Celine&rdquo; items surged with the rise of the tribute Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/oldceline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@oldceline</a>.

After a few years of fashion without Philo, <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2020/02/phoebe-philo-reportedly-planning-her-own-brand.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rumors</a> surfaced last summer that the designer could be returning to the industry. Although many speculated Philo would return for a creative directorship at Chanel or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/azzedine-alaia-archival-collection-the-editions-naomi-campbell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ala&iuml;a</a><a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/alaia-spring-summer-2022-pieter-mulier-photos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">, </a><a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/luxury/phoebe-philo-is-launching-her-own-brand-backed-by-lvmh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Business of Fashion</a> announced that Philo was back and this time with her own namesake brand, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/phoebe-philo-studios-lvmh-new-brand-celine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Phoebe Philo Studios</a>. Luxury conglomerate LVMH has reportedly taken minority stake in the new brand, allowing freedom of decision for the British designer.
"Being in my studio and getting back to drawing once again was exciting and incredibly fulfilling," Philo said in a shared statement with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/luxury/phoebe-philo-is-launching-her-own-brand-backed-by-lvmh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BoF</a>. "I can't wait to get back in touch with my audience and the people who have followed me. To be independent, to govern and experiment on my own terms is extremely meaningful to me." &nbsp;
The designer declined to release the launch date of the Phoebe Philo brand, only disclosing that more details about the project would be available January 2022. One thing&rsquo;s for sure, though: you&rsquo;ve done something right if the fashion world is living in your past to sooth the pain of a long-awaited return.

An Ode to Phoebe Philo, Fashion's Right-Hand Woman

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