Could Phoebe Philo be close to signing a deal to take creative control of LVMH brand Celine? Our sources say "yes". While there have been rumors circulating about Phoebe Philo's return to fashion for some time now, earlier talks with Paris-based luxury conglomerate LVMH had reportedly broken down over alleged salary demands back in March. If you recall, Philo first came to prominence in the fashion industry during the mid 90's as Stella McCartney's right hand "man" so-to-speak when the two were churning out hip ready-to-wear at Chloe (Groupe Richemont). Philo dutifully stepped into McCartney's design shoes when the latter left Chloe to found her own eponymous brand (PPR/Gucci Group). While Philo's debut at the helm of Chloe was somewhat shaky, she managed to pull off a near impossible feat - she emerged from McCartney's shadow to imprint her own aesthetic identity on the fashion house gaining the respect of the fashion press and retail buyers alike. She left the fashion world gobsmacked when at the height of her success at Chloe, she resigned her position as Creative Director to focus on her young daughter. Celine is currently in the hands of Croatian-born Ivana Omazic who studied fashion design in Milan and honed her skills under the tutelage of Miuccia Prada. According to The Luxe Chronicles' sources, Omazic is (was?) in the midst of designing the Spring/Summer 2009 collection. Omazic had replaced Michael Kors who designed briefly for the brand. Stay tuned for further detail.
Sincerely,
The Luxe Chronicles
Photo by Marcio Madeiras, courtesy of Style.com.
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