Phoebe's Persona
Courtesy of Phoebe Philo
Yesterday, the second launch of the collection (or "Edit," as the company itself calls it) by Phoebe Philo took place, a brand around which the curiosity of the designer's fans and industry professionals has been revolving for a long time now. No runway show, no public presentation: Phoebe Philo's brand was born online, marking a significant revolution. During Phoebe’s years at Celine, the designer had always been hesitant about social media and e-commerce, resisting them until the end. The collection presents itself as minimal but essentially chic and contemporary; staples of her aesthetic, such as perfectly fitting soft pants and oversized blazers, are unmistakable. However, the launch of the collection has divided the world into two schools of thought. Undeniably, the foundational theme of this century is LA NOSTALGIA, the sentiment that sells the most by far. The ability of an object to evoke the memory of what once was (obviously when beautiful, intense, etc.) predicts its direct revenue. In fact, a clear return to an effortlessly chic aesthetic has already been seen with the debut of Sabato on the Gucci runways, and it continues to be a leitmotif in fashion today. Phoebe's minimalist, cool, and constructed style is the one that most brands have embraced and tried to rework. So, on one hand, there are those who consider the revelation of the new brand a reassuring promise that stagnates, however, in its fixed points; fashion should build moments different from the coldness that surrounds us, becoming, in the future, nostalgic memories themselves, or else we will always long for the same things, nullifying the magic of creating new ones. According to many, there is nothing truly new in the few things presented in the small drops; everything feels like it has been seen somewhere before. The collection was not exactly what everyone expected; they received a world of certainties and sartorial ensembles, thus being disappointed that fashion today is increasingly adhering to a detached narrative of the surrounding world rather than imagining alternative worlds, possible paths of rebirth and change.
Courtesy of Phoebe Philo
On the contrary, for many, the launch of this collection represented a very clear message: amid uncertain horizons, drastic changes in the world of creatives, and challenging markets, Phoebe has brought back a specific identity and built a collection full of clear and new visions. This is the present: a widespread sense of understandable elegance made of new proportions and a novel way of wearing. Acknowledging that the present is a rethinking of the past is an important consideration, within which there are many different responses: according to many, we really need this icy, calculated, precise, concrete, and coherent force of Phoebe to face these confusing times; there is a need for a fixed point in a constantly changing world that moves without control. There is a niche of Phoebe enthusiasts that firmly believe that is indeed true that we are in a frightening sense of uncertainty, but the designer’s strength has actually been to once again launch a strong and countercurrent statement: to find beauty in staying still and drawing from one's roots to rediscover, to reacquaint oneself. Personally, I feel exactly in between both schools of thought: I believe that fashion should restore our ability to dream and distract ourselves from the cruel world around us by rediscovering itself within complex creative mechanisms. At the same time, I am convinced that not reflecting on the present leads us to not seek refuge in creativity, allowing us to reflect on abstract thinking, thus creating something closest to the ruthless realism that surrounds us, capturing nonetheless a refined and dystopian reinterpretation of reality.
