We have good news to report from the Céline show: creative director Phoebe Philo has chosen to maintain her influential three-quarter length skirt plus longer tunic-ish top silhouette for next spring. This bodes well not only for her faithful clientele but also for half of the world's fashion designers in New York and Milan who unabashedly ripped-off Philo's new look for their own collections this season. Of course, hers now looks newer and better in soft, fluid fabrics, with printed florals or in lean knit dresses that came foaming around the calves with piles of fringe. And there's now a fresh trove of new items from which to borrow. Noteworthy this season are the carwash-esque flaps that breeze behind soft tops or dresses and her flared trouser that looks nothing like the 1970s skintight versions popping up on other runways. Rather, Philo's pant remains loose around the entire leg and kicks out perkily just above the ankle to show off her fancy footwear. This designer has a knack for turning ugly shoes into excitable, highly desirable items. Already half of fashion week's editors are strapped into her flatbed, flat form winter sandals. Next season, they will migrate to sock-like ballerina slippers that slope up the vamp and come either flat or atop shiny block heels.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
