Fashion moves quickly but online shoppers move even more quickly, as evidenced by the popularity of Phoebe Philo’s newly launched collection, which dropped Monday on her e-commerce store.
This drop, called A1, is the first edit from Philo’s namesake line, and it’s been hotly anticipated since she teased its release earlier this year. Philo’s loyal fans, who call themselves Philophiles, can expect two additional edits from the line later this year, according to WWD, and a new collection coming in spring 2024.
The initial release offered a 150-piece collection of outerwear, separates, jeans, dresses, accessories, footwear and jewelry. Prices are high: a sequined dress is being sold for $19,000 and a hand-combed embroidered coat is labeled “POA,” meaning “price on asking.” More affordable items include a pair of oversized gold tone sunglasses for $750 and a silver hinged ring for $900.
However, customers looking to buy something may encounter more obstacles than the price tags.
The pieces have sold so quickly that by Wednesday morning there were just over 30 items left, including some of the higher-priced pieces, such as a double-breasted shearling coat for $16,500 and a pair of fluffy cream viscose trousers for $5,200.
Part of the appeal of the collection is in its scarcity. The brand’s impact statement reads, in part, “[w]e aim to maximise our sell through rate by creating a responsible balance between production and demand. For us, this means producing notably less than anticipated want. We intend to reach a scale that allows for efficient development, production and distribution.”
In addition, the brand stated that it intends to manage its supply chain responsibly.
“We donate relevant waste materials from our atelier to fashion institutions,” reads the statement. “We monitor the waste in our distribution centres. We minimise and re-use internal packaging and the use of plastics.”
Even the designs are minimized, in a maximalist sort of way. For example, there are no logos on any of the pieces, which is the essence of quiet luxury: most items are priced in the thousands and impossible to identify, except by those who are in-the-know. Positive reviews from fashion critics have also all but guaranteed there will be a robust resale market once the dust settles.
That’s especially true because luxury resale — most notably the “quiet” type — ruled the secondhand market, according to The RealReal’s 2023 Luxury Resale Report.
The line marks a fashion comeback for Philo, who began working with Stella McCartney at Richemont-owned Chloé in 1997. She eventually became the line’s creative director in 2001 and held that role until 2006. Afterward, she became the creative director of LVMH-owned Céline, where she worked from 2008 to 2017. This is her first namesake line, and while LVMH is backing her as a silent majority partner, Philo will be the only other shareholder, and will maintain majority ownership.
