Phoebe Philo makes Celine debut

Phoebe Philo showed her debut collection for Celine with the the Resort and Cruise line. The look is a departure from the whispy and girly Chloe days, and instead she focused on more utilitarian, even classic designs. "For this first collection I wanted to create a wardrobe, and not get too much into the trends,” Philo told WWD. “I wanted to sort things out.”

Philo, who presented the collection in New York on Thursday, has been brought in to revamp the Parisian house, bringing a dose of masculine tailoring and contemporary, minimalist edge styling. The often structured clothes could easily conjure images of the original Helmut Lang.

According to the New York Times, Philo is bringing cool Britannia to Celine, physically moving the studio from Paris to London. "What's interesting about moving is that, without a doubt, it is going to make the whole project fresher," she says. "London feels very multicultural and very rich for that."

To iconic Celine pieces such as a raincoat, a trench or a gray flannel skirt, Philo plans to add that special English ingredient: attitude. Philo says of the new label: "Céline has always been accessible - it was never a couture house, the clothes were made to be taken at face value and worn. I am happy that I am a woman in this position - there is a hole in the market and it's a good time."

Image: Celine AW09 Cruise