Phoebe Philo, end of the wait: here is the first collection (at staggering prices)

Welcome back, Phoebe Philo: after a long wait lasting almost two years, the English designer has finally unveiled her first collection born under the signature of her namesake fashion house. Key word to understand the meaning of your project? Exclusivity. Starting with e-commerce navigation, where registration is required to access. And finally – last but not least – with the mind-boggling prices that definitively position its brand much higher than many other luxury brands.

Known in the fashion industry as the great pioneer of minimalism, Phoebe Philo and her first collection did not betray the enthusiasm of the so-called Philophiles. The latter, renamed as they were lovers of her stylistic signature, have cultivated in recent years a strong sense of belonging to her community and an interest in old archive items (that of the Céline fashion house, of which she was creative director from 2008 to 2018) on the Instagram profile Old Celinand founded by a fan. Their curiosity, like that of many professionals, was finally satisfied today, the date on which the brand Phoebe Philo – who appears to have made her debut with the luxury giant LVMH behind her as a minority shareholder – has officially given a face to the must-haves that we will soon see shown off by the (elite) circle of old and soon-to-be new ones Philophiles.

Supposedly iconic dresses, shirts, trousers, jackets, coats, ankle boots, (already) bags, sunglasses and jewellery: in Phoebe Philo’s first collection there is everything you need for a complete wardrobe. The prices, however, make one’s eyes widen, especially those in the bags category: the most expensive and exclusive is undoubtedly the tote bag, which debuts on the market at the modest sum of 6,800 eurosfollowed by other leather bags priced at 3,400 and 2,800 euros respectively.

Then there are the trousers: cargo, tailored, pinstriped, or with fringes (the latter, at a cost of 3,800 euros). Again, knitwear: the turtleneck sweater for 1,600 euros and the turtleneck sweater for 850 euros. And between skirts, shirts and dresses, the circle closes with the tailored blazers costing 3,000 euros, the sheepskin coat costing 13 thousand euros and a coat priced on request. Figures with definitely many (too many?) zeros, which leave room for reflection: winning or losing strategy?

It will necessarily have to be a winner, and sales will tell this. What is certain is that Phoebe Philo’s return was built on a powerful two-year hype phenomenon, ever since the English designer announced in 2021 that she would launch an individual project. And the wait – which psychology teaches us automatically increases desire in the human mind – has already determined the sold out phenomenon on the gold-plated necklace on sale on e-commerce starting today.

Balenciaga, the (four-figure) prices of the Couture collection are no longer a taboo

For the first time in the history of high fashion, a French fashion house publicly reveals the prices of couture dresses online. A strategic decision or yet another idea that can provoke discussion by creative director Demna?

Two other great merits must also be recognized for Phoebe Philo: the first is to have built a minimalist aesthetic that coincides perfectly with its name and identity. The second, fruit of the authority that she has gained over the course of her highly esteemed career, is having invested in marketing herself. Basically, do we really like the new collection? Or are we just longing for it because we’ve waited so long for it?