Phoebe Philo In Talks With Celine

Phoebe Philo, the former creative director of Chloe, may be about to return to the fashion the world after a semi sabbatical of three years as the designer of Paris label Celine.

Philo has been in intensive negotiations for several weeks with Celine, even though as yet no deal has been signed between the UK designer and the French ladies label.

Fashion circles had been obsessed with the future plans of Philo since she dramatically quit her job at Chloe in 2005, in the most prominent example of designer burnout this century. Interest peaked again last week after her former assistant at Chloe, Hannah MacGibbon, was appointed creative director of the brand.

The return of the highly acclaimed Philo would be a significant coup for Celine and for its owner, French luxury conglomerate LVMH. Though its boasts such talents as John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs in its extended designer stable, it has always been ever so slightly outshone by its nearest, albeit smaller, rival, Gucci Group, in terms of star quality in its creative squad.

Celine president Serge Brunschwig declined to comment on the development, directing enquiries to LVMH’s official spokesman Olivier Labesse.

“I can say absolutely nothing; we do not comment on rumors,” Labesse told FWD.

Despite intensive talks, both sides are understood to be significantly apart in terms, with Philo requesting a salary several times as large as Celine’s current designer, Croatian-born Ivana Omazic. Calls to Philo’s London office were not returned.

Philo quit Chloe after a series of stellar and coolly feminine collections that won critical raves and dramatic sales increases. Three years later, she would still be widely viewed as the signal most sought after designer of talent currently not holding a major position.

Last year, Paris was flooded with rumors that Philo has struck a deal with the Gucci Group and would return to the international catwalks with her own eponymous collection in autumn of 2008. Executives familiar with all the players say Philo had been in talks with Gucci Group for several months and was close to signing signed an understanding of the partnership before Christmas.

However, when queried by FWD about a possible deal with Philo, Francois Pinault, the scion of the family that controls Gucci Group responded: “Not as far as I know.”

Whoever she eventually links up with, Philo will remain based in London, but will likely show her collections abroad, though the location may vary according to season, possibly crossing The Pond.

Since quitting Chloe, Philo has been quietly been consulting to Gap, though none of her design ideas carry her name on a label. In response, Gap already become a hipper brand in Europe, and has suddenly come back into fashion for London and Paris hipsters.

Celine will be considered a potentially ideal vehicle for Philo’s design skills, as a reputable brand with a tradition of quality but lacking a strong brand DNA, thus allowing a clear canvas on which the designer can work. Celine is known for a quintessentially Parisian style, first developed by Madame Celine Vipiana, the Polish-born, French-implant who started the brand as a girls' shoe company in 1945.

That said, LVMH president and key shareholder Bernard Arnault has been known to firmly refuse what he sees as excessive wage demands by even exceptional designers, most famously baulking at requests by Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane and declining to renew the contract of a man considered the best men’s designer in fashion.

Asked about a potential Celine linkup, one friend of Philo’s responded: “If Phoebe does not get what she thinks is a fair deal her skills, she is perfectly capable of deciding just to concentrate on being a mother to her child Maya.”

At the time of leaving Chloe, Philo explained that,
"My decision to resign is for personal reasons, especially to spend more time with my new baby in the coming months."

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