Phoebe Philo

Phoebe Philo is the founder, artistic director and majority owner of her namesake label. The long-awaited venture, which launched in October 2023 with minority backing from LVMH, spans clothing and accessories, fusing the luxe minimalism Philo is best known for with a “raw, shredded edge,” BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks observed. By early 2026, the company reported an extraordinary growth trajectory, with 2025 sales reportedly surpassing $41 million, tripling its revenue from the previous year.

Before starting her own brand, Philo spent 10 years as creative director at LVMH-owned Celine, which she transformed from a sleepy bourgeois label into a global fashion force that generated an estimated $900 million in annual sales before her 2017 exit. Her work at the house, known for its unfussy minimalist aesthetic, attracted a loyal fanbase of “Philophiles” and redefined modern luxury. Philo studied at Central Saint Martins before joining her friend Stella McCartney at Chloé as her first assistant in 1997. Following McCartney’s exit in 2001, Philo took over as creative director, turning the house into a commercial success thanks to her effortless creations and profitable “It” bag designs, such as the Paddington.

Philo resigned from Chloé in 2006 to take a hiatus before returning to lead Celine in 2008. Regarding her aesthetic, Philo told British Vogue, “I felt it was time for a more back-to-reality approach to fashion, clothes that are beautiful, strong and have ideas, but with real life driving them.” This sentiment resulted in a new roster of cult items, including the much-copied Luggage tote, driving double-digit growth for the label.

In July 2021, Philo confirmed her return to fashion as the majority owner of her own label. While initially a direct-to-consumer digital venture, the brand has since expanded through selective wholesale partnerships with Bergdorf Goodman, Dover Street Market and 10 Corso Como. In late 2025, the brand confirmed plans for its first standalone flagship boutique on Carlos Place in London’s Mayfair, scheduled to open in 2026.

“To be independent, to govern and experiment on my own terms is hugely significant to me,” she told BoF. Philo has twice won British Designer of the Year (2005, 2010), received the CFDA International Award (2011) and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2014. In 2024, she was named Marketer of the Year at the Impression Fashion Awards for her brand’s unconventional “collection drop” strategy.