Online hauls and sold-out stores: Inside the Céline resale phenomenon
Chloe Mac Donnell, acting fashion editor
15 OCTOBER 2018 • 5:37PM
When LVMH announced in December 2017 that
Phoebe Philo was stepping down as the creative director of Céline, social media went into overdrive. Philo who had held the position for almost ten years was known for her minimal, chic and fuss-free designs and her fans did not hold back in expressing their mixture of anger and sadness that she would no longer be at the helm of the label. However, “Céline” wasn’t just trending on Twitter and Instagram. On the day of Philo’s announcement, the online luxury reseller
The Real Real reported a 45 per cent increase in demand for Céline products designed by her. With search up 30 per cent, resale prices also suddenly leapt.
Céline has always been a strong reseller, epitomising the much-vaunted idea of an “investment buy”, but nobody expected Philo’s departure to lead to such a sudden spike in sales.
Founded in 1946 by Céline Vipiana, it started out as a made-to-measure children's shoe store before Vipiana and her husband introduced their first womenswear ready-to-wear line in 1967. Items such as wool skirt suits and pastel-coloured denim were seen as innovative at the time and in 1987, Bernard Arnault bought the brand.
It was integrated into LVMH in 1996 and a year later, Michael Kors was appointed creative director, a position he held until 2004. Focusing on accessories, the brand enjoyed a brief period of success with strong sales for the “Boogie” and “Poulbot” style of bags. However, it wasn’t until Philo came onboard in 2008, that the lucrative opportunities really started to accelerate.
In a Nineties world where bodycon dresses and spiky stiletto heels were the look du jour, Philo’s pared back designs were longed-for refreshment. From white trainers to fur lined sandals, billowing sleeved shirts to wide-legged trousers and oversized totes to cross-body bags, Philo produced hit after hit and in the process created her own style tribe dubbed the 'Philophiles'. According to analysts (LVMH goes not share figures for Céline) Philo took the brand’s annual sales from €200 million to more than €700 million.
Now it seems the news of her departure combined with
Hedi Slimane’s wiping of the slate has only boosted sales further.
According to
the luxury consignment site Vestiaire Collective, when Slimane revealed his new Celine logo,
sans the accute accent on the first e, via Instagram in September,there was a spike in search for pieces designed by Philo. Then came his debut collection, that left the majority of original Céline fans feeling appalled by Slimane’s louche tribe of women sporting an almost exclusively black palette of body-con dresses. The Philophiles’ retaliation plan? Buy more of Philo’s existing Céline pieces.
Comparing data from October 2017 to the same month this year, visits to the Céline section on Vestiaire are up 275 per cent whilst there has been a 43 per cent increase in the number of Céline products sold. It’s a similar story over at The Real Real. The weekend after Slimane’s show, searches for Philo’s Céline were up 52 per cent compared to the same time last year. Revenue also spiked by 73 per cent and weeks later there continues to be a 32 per cent growth in revenue.
Brittany Bathgate, a 28-year-old blogger from Norwich is currently on the hunt for Philo’s white heeled glove shoes and a pair of chunky black sandals. She is looking regularly online and is also planning a trip to Bicester Village to “grab any old bits.” Having previously made a couple of purchases in the past she says she is longing for these items because, "I want to wear them but I also want them for commemorative reasons. Philo’s era was something truly special for women and we don’t know when or if we’ll ever get to experience something like that again so keeping hold of her iconic pieces is important to me.”
For
Ramya Giangola, the founder of the retail and brands consultancy Gogoluxe and a self-confessed Céline superfan who has been buying pieces since Philo’s debut collection it’s a similar story. “I have continued to buy pieces, from the NYC Soho store and the Avenue Montaigne store in Paris since the news broke. To be honest I have been trying to acquire as many pieces that are relevant to me as I can knowing that the pre-fall delivery was still involving Phoebe and then fall by her design team was a greatest hits or “what would phoebe design” inspired collection. So I’ve been buying shoes and accessories, trench coats, leather pieces, signature trousers and lots of iconic knits and dresses.”
Search for Phoebe Philo on Vestiaire and you’ll find over 400 items. According to the site, the “Classic” bag has proven to be the most popular product sold over the last month and whilst the markup depends on the condition of the piece, they say sellers of sought-after items could recoup 80 per cent of the price they paid at retail and in some cases even more. Meanwhile, The Real Real report an overall resale value rise of 7 per cent across the board but have seen price increases of up to 30 per cent especially in clothing where they are seeing the highest demand increases.
However, for true Philophiles like Ramya an increase in recouping more than she originally spent, isn’t enough to convince her to part with her much desired pieces. “Someone on Instagram sent me a screen shot of a silk printed shirt that I have in my collection and that Kanye made famous when he wore the same style to perform in at Coachella in 2011. It showed that the same shirt had just sold on eBay for $8000 (£6000 approx.) My reaction was “Wow,” but no I would never part with these pieces to cash in. I feel privileged to have been part of this moment in time, this movement towards a new way of dressing led by Phoebe. And keeping my collection and continuing to wear it is important to me.”
(OK, I don't think it's Target.)
