Celine

Chanel’s 2021/22 Métiers D’art Collection
Ever wondered what were the stories behind the most iconic designs in the world? For years, people have been wearing classic items without really knowing how they came to be, and what exactly their picks mean historically. Some brands, you may have noticed, have developed a clear identity for their most iconic products, in which the source of inspiration can be deciphered easily. Take, for instance, Versace, a fashion house which looks to Medusa for its unmissable logo. Medusa, first found in Greek mythology, made people fall in love with her with no way back. Similarly, Gianni Versace hoped that his creations would have the same effect on the people who wore his clothes.
What’s interesting to note is that the fashion world includes several labels which carry hidden identities and narratives that aren’t known to the public. Coco Chanel’s ‘Premiere’ watch is a great example, as are Celine’s famous ‘Triomphe’ handbags, Fendi’s ‘FF’ logo, and Cartier’s’ ‘Pathere Vendome Armbanduhr’ watch. Lets take a closer, detailed look at what makes these items so special.

Chanel
Photo: Instagram.com/chanel
Art critic Jean-Louis Froment, once stated, “Gabrielle Chanel was a paradox—she extracted beautiful elements from what seemed like a depressed and unhappy stage of her life. Her identity is a mixture of happiness and sadness. I think the paradox in her life gave birth to the contrast of black and white color in her design.” Coco Chanel’s paradoxical nature certainly seems to have come into play when she created the ‘Premiere’ watch. The unconventional design was inspired by Place Vendome, the iconic square in the heart of Paris, where her apartment and atelier were located. This spot was the first and last thing she saw every day for as long as she lived.
Celine
Photo: Instagram.com/celine
While Chanel was inspired by a recurring sight, Céline Vipiana was placed in a slightly different situation. While having her car break down in Paris—right in front of Arc De Triomphe—definitely wasn’t on her schedule, fate did strike the designer at the right time. According to reports, Vipiana was so inspired by the chains surrounding the iconic monument, the double links, which represent two Cs, soon became part of Celine’s house emblem. It’s safe to say that accidents happen for a reason, and sometimes the reason might just be revolutionary.
Cartier
Photo: Instagram.com/cartier
The final hidden secret is Cartier. Louis-Francois Cartiers’ inspiration came from an unorthodox point of view. Serving in the military as a tank driver affected his entire design aesthetic.
The famous Cartier ‘Tank’ watch may not have come into existence if Louis-Francois Cartiers hadn’t served in the military as a tank driver. This iconic watch was inspired by the outer structure of the tank, while the strap of the watch mimics the track and links that can be found under the vehicle.
What’s more, Cartier’s second most-loved timepiece, the ‘Pathere Vendome Armbanduhr’, took its inspiration from the two-man FT-17 tanks employed on the Western Front. “The design is said to mirror a bird’s eye view of the Tank’s small cockpit,” a source reveals.
Fendi
Photo: Instagram.com/fendi
Ever wondered why Fendi’s logo features two Fs? In 1965, Karl Lagerfeld was appointed as the new creative director for the fashion house, and was asked to add a ‘modern touch’ to the brand’s logo. Keeping that in mind, Lagerfeld was able to sketch the ‘FF’ logo in exactly 3 seconds, which stood for ‘Fourrure Folle’, or in other words, ‘fun furs’. While today, the fashion industry no longer supports the usage of fur, at that time, it was a medium that was very much in demand, and Lagerfeld helped push the brand to become one of the top manufacturers.
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Photo: Instagram/@ phoebephilodiary
After a week of couture debuts, comes this news: Phoebe Philo is launching a new brand under her own name. LVMH, her home during her Céline years, has made a minority investment. First reported in the Business of Fashion but long rumored about, especially in the wake of her appearance on the Andam Fashion Jury on July 1, today’s announcement is set to shake fashion out of its pandemic torpor.
Few designers have had a larger impact on 21st century fashion—Philo turned Chloé and Céline into It brands during her tenures at those labels. And no one has been missed as much post-exit. Not long after Philo left Céline in 2017, an Instagram account with the handle @oldceline sprung up and editors and stylists lament her departure to this day. During her eight years at the house, Philo wardrobed many of the industry’s most powerful female arbiters, and a few important dudes, too; Kanye West at Coachella in the printed silk pajama shirt from spring 2011 played its own important role in Céline mania.
Philo was a female success story in a luxury fashion business dominated not just by male creative directors but often also by the male gaze. She had an uncommon knack for synthesizing the aspirational with the everyday, and in the process she defined the modern look of a generation. At her 2009 Céline debut she said, “it felt better for me to work on an idea of a wardrobe than too much trend. I worked hard to create things that stand the test of time.” That said, Philo set trends aplenty. For #uglyshoes, for championing unconventional muses like Joan Didion, and for following her own intuition, even when it was defiantly weird—maybe especially so then.
Naturally, where Philo went, so did many of her peers. Seasons after her departure her collections remain templates for designers across the fashion spectrum. I was recently reminded that the rubber rain boots we now see everywhere first made their appearance in her final collection for the Céline, circa pre-fall 2018. In fact, her three-year absence (roughly the same amount of time between her Chloé and Céline gigs) has only served to strengthen her reputation. One reason why: A whole class of designers that she trained are now making their own impacts: Bottega Veneta’s Daniel Lee worked under Philo, as did emerging names like New York’s Peter Do and London’s Rok Hwang.
The announcement has broader implications, as well. Since the mid-’90s, fashion has been dominated by heritage brands. Philo and her peers came up, landed plum jobs at big, if sometimes flagging, companies, and spent productive years making over those labels. Philo did it not once, but twice. Building a new business as the industry works to reestablish itself in the wake of the pandemic may prove extra challenging, even with her name recognition. But it’s worth remembering that Philo’s Céline emerged from the economic crisis of 2008, sweeping away the excesses of aughts fashion with a confident new minimalism. If she can tap into similar instincts now, she has an even bigger following to bank on.
The launch of the Phoebe Philo brand could turn out to be an inflection point. That she’ll influence the look of fashion in the years to come seems a given, given her bona fides, but the model that she’s establishing—a 21st century name, a 21st century brand—could prove pivotal as well. We’ve been asking ourselves what fashion will be post-Covid. Philo may have just supplied us with an answer: The 2020s could become a new era of independents.
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Originally published on Vogue.com

The Cannes Film Festival is the world’s biggest red carpet. For 75 years, the event’s lineup of premieres and parties has enriched the film industry while providing style devotees with a seemingly endless array of standout fashion. Cannes’ dress code is famously strict and arguably passé, but it has ensured the festival’s position as the premier showcase for haute couture and decadent gemstones. Cannes is not casual. Unless you’re this year’s inimitably cool jury president, Spike Lee, you don’t get to walk the steps of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès wearing sneakers.
In 2020 there were no premieres or parties due to the coronavirus pandemic and its travel bans, but this year the event comes roaring back. With a jury that includes chic international talent like French-Senegalese director Mati Diop, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, and Tahar Rahim, the fashion was bound to be good, but guests were already exceeding expectations. From the moment Gyllenhaal walked into day on’’s first photocell in a sleek Hedi Slimane-designed black trousers and tube-top combo from Celine, things were off and running.
Opening night at the world premiere of Leo Carax’s Annette, there were impressive outfits as far as the eye could see. Jessica Chastain delivered gothic vibes in a corseted Christian Dior Haute Couture gown paired with nearly 200 carats worth of Chopard rubies, while Lou Doillon twirled in Gucci’s gold lamé. Step up the staircase, and you’d find Bella Hadid posing in vintage Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture, nearly stealing the show from the movie stars. Not to be outdone, Annette’s star Marion Cotillard dazzled in a silver, tea-length Chanel Haute Couture look with so much sparkle it gleamed once the paparazzi began to snap Cotillard’s picture. All in all, it was a thrilling return to form and proof that the red carpet magic lives on.
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Originally published on Vogue.com