THERE was so much to talk about at the Celine show this morning - the resounding disapproval of Kanye West's ill-fitting debut collection last night, gossip from his after-party - and then the man himself turned up to take a front row seat, so we all rapidly turned our attention to Phoebe Philo and the rumours that she'll take over at Louis Vuitton if Marc Jacobs goes to Dior.
So will she? It's thought to be a matter of time until Marc's move is made official (it's not money that's stopping him - he'll be given a blank cheque we hear, it's the fact that he wants to debunk with his entire Vuitton team that is the sticking point) - but Phoebe's place at LV is far less sure. A woman who has fiercely fought to stay based in London, for whom husband and family is as important as career success, and who is as famous for her love of privacy as she is for her deft design talent, it's difficult to imagine her being persuaded into the limelight of one of the most noisily successful brands in the world. But time - and perhaps money - will tell.
Her show this morning was a logical move forward for her Celine, as the opening sounds of Platoon filled the air with helicopters and haunting Barber, she gave us sharply tailored trench coats with wide belts on high waists and jackets with stiff, undulating peplums over full legged trousers - as well as lots of summer leather.
As ever, she seems to take the simplest ideas and then change the rules slightly - waists are higher, trousers are wider, great coats come short over an extra wave of hemline, over trousers that have a subtle surface brocade. Block tones of red, plum, brown or green looked great together sharing sharp knife-pleated skirts, breaking up the white with clean precision.
Philo's ideas are so clear, her articulation of them so direct, that you leave her shows feeling refreshed as if those really were clothes that you haven't seen before - and you can immediately imagine how they will resonate out to create new trends of their own.
“I loved it,” said Vogue’s Fran Burns afterwards. “I loved that she had considered the season and so it wasn’t too summery but it was a very complete wardrobe. I’d love to be that woman wearing those clothes and living a life that requires those clothes.”
Bold platform shoes with thick ankle straps, black leather T-shirt shaped dresses belted as wide as the jackets and beautifully cut crisp white shirts with flowing pleated backs and sharp collars – these are all going to be winners next season. We couldn’t help hoping Louis Vuitton doesn’t get its way after all.
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