Phoebe Philo - Life After Chloe - *Update* Creative Director for Celine

[- belle -]

i like Roland Mouret... but i agree with most of you, that he does not seem to be the designer for Chloe...they're different styles. We'll have to see what happens...

 

[gypsytex]

Stella really made Chloe interesting with her rocker style. However, looking a Phoebe's designs after she took control I think she blends edge and fimininity so perfectly.

 

[stylegurrl]

yeah.. but phoebe isn't the daughter of a beatle..
just playing devils advocate here.. but stella wasn't as terrible as some make it sound to be..got to give her at least some credit, right? she was a different kind distillation of the chloe girl.. lets just hope for the best.


some pics from f/w2000 style.com.. (do you rbr the days when the rise of pants was that height..?)

You are 100% right-Phoebe is not the daughter of a celebrity, so the media interest is not be the same. My point was, she does not court celebrity-hanging out with famous people, throwing and/or showing up at parties etc. She remains in the background and lets her work shine. That is why I admire her. To me Pheobe-era Chloe is classier and more adult.

Unfortunately I remember that collection you posted pics from

 

[MarryMeTomFord]

i like Chloe better with phoebe Pjilo than with Stella. But Stella made it "hip" and generated interest in the label. I like Roland too. He makes really nice fitted lady-like chothes. But he has an English guy mentality and sensibilities. I am not sure how French he can convert his designs

 

[mimiko]

I was afraid of it having a child really destroys women's career

 

[LISOC]

mouret's hard tailoring and manipulation would take the soft femininity out of chloe. as much as i love mouret, chloe doesn't appear to be his cup of tea but then wouldn't it be interesting what kind of spin he'd put on chloe's ethic! it would surely be very fresh!

 

[marnilover]

^Good point.

 

[Lena]

Phoebe is officially not with Chloe anymore

PARIS - Phoebe Philo's reign at Chloe is over.

The designer, who helped catapult the growth of the Parisian brand with coveted handbag designs and feminine frocks, today will announce she is resigning from the firm for personal reasons, according to market sources.

WWD first reported on Nov. 22 that Philo was eyeing the door.

Rather than any explosive conflict, Philo's desire to spend more time with her family and new baby, Maya, was increasingly at odds with the demands of one of the fastest-growing European fashion houses.

A successor is not expected to be announced immediately and the fall collection, to be presented here in March, will be designed by the in-house team, one source said.

That team - Sara Jowett, Natasha Lee, Valeska Duetsch, Adrian Appiolaza and Yvan Mispelaere - filled in for Philo during her maternity leave and took a bow on the runway in her stead last March.

However, a search for a successor to Philo is said to be under way, with all options being considered, from a team effort to internal promotion.

Rumors already have been swirling, with Roland Mouret floated as a potential candidate. But informed sources said no contact has been made between Chloι chairman and chief executive Ralph Toledano and the London-based designer.

Neither Philo nor Toledano could be reached for comment Tuesday.

Chloι has been one of fashion's fastest-growing brands in recent years. When Johann Rupert, chairman of Chloι parent Richemont, reported first-half profits in November, he vaunted the brand's strong performance.

"This business has outperformed its peers, more than doubling sales in the six months under review," he commented. "Chloe is developing its wholesale business and rolling out its international retail expansion program."

The company just unveiled a second store in Paris, on the Avenue Montaigne, which it plans to fete in January during the Paris couture.

Last year, Chloe inaugurated boutiques in Kuwait; Costa Mesa, Calif.; Beijing, and Shanghai. This month, a new flagship will open in Tokyo, in the heart of the Aoyama district.

Market sources estimate the brand generates wholesale volume of $300 million. But ambitions are much higher. Last year, Richemont confirmed it would invest "tens of millions of euros" as part of an effort to make Chloι a billion-dollar player.

Philo joined Chloe in 1997 as part of designer Stella McCartney's creative team. Four years later, she replaced her former classmate at London's Central Saint Martins when McCartney resigned to set up her own fashion house in a joint venture with Gucci Group.

With her good looks and striking personal style, Philo had all the makings of a fashion star. Indeed, she succeeded in accelerating Chloe's rejuvenation, making it one of the hottest shows in Paris and one of the top-selling designer brands from New York to Hong Kong.

Still, she has been uncomfortable with the fashion spotlight for some time, shunning media attention in an era when it is vital for an international fashion company.

Philo also is said to have struggled with the growing pressures and responsibilities at a brand eager to develop new categories like costume jewelry, watches, lingerie and baby apparel, while pumping up the scope of its diffusion and fragrance businesses.

Her family life, centered in London, increasingly kept her away from Paris despite growing leadership needs. Chloe recently shifted its design studios to London to accommodate Philo, but it was a problematic arrangement, sources said.

Despite signing a new multiyear contract in 2005, Philo had been negotiating with Chloe in recent weeks to resolve the impasse, but no agreement could be reached.

Chairman and ceo of Chloe since 1999, Toledano has a reputation for sniffing out design talent. Before Chloι, he headed Guy Laroche, where he recruited a then-unknown Alber Elbaz from the studio of Geoffrey Beene.

Elbaz's flair at Laroche won him the job of replacing Yves Saint Laurent as designer of YSL Rive Gauche ready-to-wear. But Elbaz lasted only three seasons, and he subsequently went on to lead a renaissance at Lanvin, building the house into one of the most sought-after Paris brands.

from wwd of today

 

[pointup]

well phoebe will definitely be missed! Hope her family will thrive as an end result of her decision..

Curious to see who is next.. Thanks for sharing Lena!

 

[PrincessImp.]

Oh..Phoebe will be missed!

But change is always constant..let's hope that this will be for the better(both for Chloe' and Phoebe)!

 

[liberty33r1b]

wow, i still can't believe this, i mean, it still seems so unexpected to me....but well, i think her design team is gonna deliver a strong collection nonetheless, and if its really gonna be roland mouret, i'd be rather happy about it!

 

[eternitygoddess]

Wow, this resignation is sure going to rock the fashion world.

 

[boho_babe]

. .
She does have her priorities right though, and thats what counts.

 

[sistermoda]

I look so much forward to see what Mouret could do for Chloé, I´m excited

 

[fashionista13]

That's pretty surprising. It'll be interesting to see how Chloe will do with a new designer...it's one of my favorite lines.

 

[Lena]

. .
She does have her priorities right though, and thats what counts.

agreed,
i quite respect her for having what it takes to follow her 'heart' no matter what.
as for the Chloe design team they've done a fine job so far, i really dont see why a new designer is needed in the house, apart from the obvious 'publicity' stand.
who i could see 'working well' at Chloe?
Sophia Kokosalaki or Charles Anastase..

as for Phoebe..
somehow i feel she will make a 'comeback' sooner or later.

 

[Spacemiu]

I loved Phoebe at Chloe, but judging from the Fall collection the team is probably a big part of it and I hope they elect one of the in house people to be the new director.

 

[Lena]

^^ agreed, i vote for Yvan Mispelaere

 

[marnilover]

CHLOE confirmed this morning that Phoebe Philo has resigned as creative director of the label. "I am grateful to the House of Chloe for giving me the opportunity to develop as a designer and to serve as its creative director for the past four years," said Philo, who joined the house in 1997 with Stella McCartney before taking over the top job in 2001. "Chloe is a beautiful house with a great history, and I am proud to have worked alongside the wonderfully talented people there. My decision to resign is for personal reasons, including especially to spend more time with my new baby in the coming months. I want to thank the House of Chloe, the Richemont Group and of course Ralph Toledano for their support and their understanding of my decision. These past years have been exciting for all of us, and I wish the company all the best success in the future." Chairman and ceo of Chloe, Ralph Toledano, added, "We thank Phoebe for her contribution. We respect her choice to focus on her family at this point in her life, and wish her all the best." The house design team, made up of Sara Jowett, Natasha Lee, Valeska Duetsch, Adrian Appiolaza and Yvan Mispelaere, is expected to put together the forthcoming autumn/winter 2006-7 show – due in March – just as they did for this winter's collection while Philo was on maternity leave. The spotlight is now on Roland Mouret, who walked out of his London-based company two months ago, and is widely expected to step into Philo's shoes. No comment has yet been made from either Chloe or Mouret to corroborate the rumours, however. (January 5 2006, AM)

From vogue.co.uk

 

[Pastry]

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!