Phoebe Philo started at Chloé in 1997 as Stella McCartney's assistant and became creative director in 2001. Her first It bag, the Paddington, arrived in 2005. From 2008 to 2017 she led Céline, where the Trapeze, the Luggage tote and the Trio cross body bag marked her tenure. In 2021 she announced her own label with LVMH as a minority investor, with Philo as majority owner, and it went direct to consumer on phoebephilo.com in October 2023. The label is headquartered in Ladbroke Grove, London, with an in-house London atelier, and it arrives in Edits called A1, A2 and A3. The debut A1 Edit opened with oversized leather coats, and the outerwear here carries that thread. The double breasted wool and mohair blend coat and the cashmere wrap coat are the long ones, the shearling jacket is the warm one, and the leather bomber, the cropped leather bomber and the cotton and cashmere blend velour bomber are the shorter pieces. For a closer look at the shape, my leather jacket guide is a good starting point.

Philo's trousers are the part I keep thinking about, and the A1 Edit began with zip up trousers. The group here is a study in cut. The technical barrel leg pants, the velour wide leg pants, the wool wide leg pants and the cotton wide leg pants are different ways to get volume, and the leather wide leg pants are the sharp one. The wool and mohair gabardine cargo pants and the silk cargo pants are the more unusual pieces. Denim comes as straight jeans, wide leg jeans and low rise wide leg jeans, and the cotton jersey sweatpants and cotton shorts give an easy end. What I would skip is wearing barrel leg pants with a cropped boxy bomber when you are shorter, since both pieces add volume at the same height. A longer jacket works better. For a history of the cargo, read this guide to cargo pants.

Bags were part of Philo's identity long before the label, from the Paddington to the Luggage tote, and the names here keep that spirit. The small Kit Cabas leather tote bag and the medium Kit Cabas suede tote bag are the carry everything choices. The Gig and the small Gig suede shoulder bag are the softer ones, the Paper Tote leather shoulder bag is the clean line one, and the Glove Pochette leather shoulder bag has a small, close shape. The small Concertina leather clutch and the Mini Bean Sling suede shoulder bag are for lighter days. If I could choose one, it would be the Kit Cabas, because a tote stays useful in every season. For other ways to think about a structured tote, the boxy bag trend has the details.

The A1 Edit included angular ironed shirts, so the shirt group is a good place to look at the label's mind. The striped cotton poplin shirt, the cotton shirt and the silk shirt are the crisp ones, and the open back silk blend satin scarf top is the evening one. The cotton jersey top, the striped crêpe jersey T-shirt and the patch appliqué cotton jersey T-shirt keep things casual, and the houndstooth wool and cashmere sweater is the one with a pattern. In our fashion dreams she wears the striped poplin shirt untucked under the double breasted coat, with the wide leg jeans from the second group. The look is minimal, and each piece is worth looking at on its own.

The accessories are where the A1 Edit's sunglasses and jewelry continue. The Half Bombé shield sunglasses and the Sliced Cruise rectangular sunglasses are the sculptural pair, the pinstripe fringed cashmere scarf and the leather belt are the quiet pieces, and the Medallion Dish sterling silver earrings add a small point of shine. The belted midi dress is the only dress. The shoes are a strong set: leather pumps, leather loafer pumps, leather ankle boots, leather sandals, leather slip on shoes and suede high top sneakers. The debut Edit had square toed heeled loafers, and the loafer pumps feel like a cousin. For a look at the sunglasses idea, a story on Miu Miu style frames gives a good contrast, and lug sole loafers show a heavier take.

My Phoebe Philo wardrobe would be one long coat, one pair of wide leg pants, a Kit Cabas tote and the loafer pumps. The label began direct to consumer and only started wholesale in April 2024, so I like to think of it as a direct line from a designer to the person wearing the clothes. Keep the pieces few, and keep each of them excellent.

For more in the same spirit, take a look at Maison de Sabré Bags and Unreal Fur Coats.