Phoebe Philo - Designer

[LostInNJ]

I'm going to be the Debbie Downer here but I don't believe in her brand in the long term. It's already barely making any noise anymore, purely nostalgia based, has zero world building and the whole scarcity thing is not a differentiating factor on the market. Good for them if they want to be able to add a "sold out" label on their website and pretend this venture is a success but that's about it.

She chose to go with very restricted marketing and let the product speak, except the market is full of Phoebe-adjacents who found their customer base during her absence. Now she's just one of many, and I'm pretty sure her customer base is full of Céline nostalgics (who also shop at the Phoebe-adjacent brands). After having been gone for so long, you need to let people back into your world. Almost reintroduce them to it and show them why they missed you somehow. Instead, she chose to present everything in the driest way possible.

Rome wasn't built in a day for sure, but she's not a new designer who just popped up. She benefitted from months, years even, of anticipation. Everybody in the industry was dying to get the opportunity to work with her on that project. She ended up opting for a rather wonky hiring strategy, and the reality was that the launch was okay, and from the second drop onwards it's been quieter. Then came along the comments on sizing issues, etc.

She needs to focus on world-building. it doesn't have to be a show per se, but some kind of presence that will grab people for good. Because you can't survive on nostalgia forever. Especially when you're not that unique anymore.

I wish her well, yet I can't help but wonder if maybe this launch came too late? Look at NG, post-Balenciaga he seriously considered launching his eponymous label. He even mentioned it on a French TV show back in 2016. But now it seems that it's not the case anymore. Perhaps he realised there's so much time that can pass before your brightest days become a fond memory but are not enough to build a business on.

Is it perhaps, very much like what Lola said? She doesn't need buzz or hype or noise to move the product. She has her core customer that isn't necessarily interested in any of that. They know where to find her and will seek out the outlets in which they can purchase in person. Simple as that.

I think we have become so accustomed to everything being so loud and accessible, in a way, that the barometer of success has been skewed in our minds.

 

[Thefrenchy]

^ I guess it's a matter of perspective, but every new brand needs buzz to move their product. Especially considering her proposal is very trend/fashion-oriented.

Regarding her core customer, I will quote what's just been said before your post by J02215 because I wholeheartedly agree with them:

They are not really the intellectual independent taste-makers the media makes them out to be, nor are they loyal her; but simply hypebeasts who are mainly interested in crafting an image of “superior tastes”.

 

[tourbillions]

I just saw the news that Bruno Sialelli will be the head of Design RTW, interesting to see they are still expanding the brands.
I think they should invest a better person for marketing. They need a good marketing strategy, because staying anoymous doesn't really work.
You can be niche, but at least let poeple try and feel the clothes. They look good on models, but it's a different story on human and the price !!!
I know there's lots of rich people, but are they really buying your stuffs ??

i hope he is being trained to eventually head a lvmh house. From what I saw in his Lanvin, he has what it takes as long as the suits fully back his vision. I bet he can do celine or loewe.

 

[Lola701]

^ I guess it's a matter of perspective, but every new brand needs buzz to move their product. Especially considering her proposal is very trend/fashion-oriented.

Regarding her core customer, I will quote what's just been said before your post by J02215 because I wholeheartedly agree with them:

But we all agree and know that this new form of minimalism or post-modern minimalism is very her. The people who goes to Phoebe Philo for some stuff goes there because she has an authority over that style/aesthetic.

I fell like the conversation with Phoebe is different because people expect her to be a driving force of fashion again and it may not be the case anymore.

I always use the example of Azzedine because I don’t believe that Phoebe Philo created her brand to build an empire. And I think there’s no benchmark in creating your brand as an established designer nowadays.

Tom Ford has created an ambitious brand from the moment he left Gucci/YSL. In a way that’s what people expect from an established designer but that requires a lot of investment.

When Azzedine was bought by Prada. He came back, had 2 official shows and that’s it. He never advertised, benefitted from the support of his editors friends and some famous clients. And they developed the accessories. Azzedine never made « buzz ». Fashion people and the right people knew where to find it.

Maybe that’s the approach Phoebe is going for.

Maybe I’m super indulgent towards her but I don’t feel like she created her own brand as a revenge. Tom Ford created his brand as a revenge and what he has managed to do in 20 years is impressive but I’m not sure Phoebe is in that mind set.

 

[PDFSD]

This might be an unpopular opinion, but from a social psych perspective, I’ve always wondered if the so-called philophiles are simply the female, more refined version of hypebeasts, or the fashion version of indie music snobs. They are not really the intellectual independent taste-makers the media makes them out to be, nor are they loyal her; but simply hypebeasts who are mainly interested in crafting an image of “superior tastes”.

At the moment, this “superior” brand is the row….but who knows how long it will last before they move on again.

agree on everything but that the row is superior its tiny as hell and just being hyped with the 24 hrs news cycle don't make it a poer house yet nor superior because their designs are still not distinctive enough and upper guilty it's not above hermes per example for leather goods.

this all coming from a person that likes the olsens growth since full house years to now they made smart moves steadily, but i like to be objective even if i want them to win just like Victoria Beckham or even Ye ...love an outsider making it big in an industry that looks down upon them :-)

 

[PDFSD]

But we all agree and know that this new form of minimalism or post-modern minimalism is very her. The people who goes to Phoebe Philo for some stuff goes there because she has an authority over that style/aesthetic.

I fell like the conversation with Phoebe is different because people expect her to be a driving force of fashion again and it may not be the case anymore.

I always use the example of Azzedine because I don’t believe that Phoebe Philo created her brand to build an empire. And I think there’s no benchmark in creating your brand as an established designer nowadays.

Tom Ford has created an ambitious brand from the moment he left Gucci/YSL. In a way that’s what people expect from an established designer but that requires a lot of investment.

When Azzedine was bought by Prada. He came back, had 2 official shows and that’s it. He never advertised, benefitted from the support of his editors friends and some famous clients. And they developed the accessories. Azzedine never made « buzz ». Fashion people and the right people knew where to find it.

Maybe that’s the approach Phoebe is going for.

Maybe I’m super indulgent towards her but I don’t feel like she created her own brand as a revenge. Tom Ford created his brand as a revenge and what he has managed to do in 20 years is impressive but I’m not sure Phoebe is in that mind set.

100000 % agree ....especially as TF is an american so the mind set is bigger than live approach ...while phoebe is french/brit where she would find being more demure an more chic and balanced approach to life.

even while she is searching for the what makes sense to her both creatively and business wise i think her inner rebel approach is i do it may way and not what people expect or want perse from me.

at chloe she spoke also of doing opposite of what the business men wanted from her etc to prank/spice things up ....its a very anarchic british thing to f.. things up when they are to serious