Phoebe Philo’s world at Céline will end not with a bang, but with a whimper—or, really, more of a whisper, as handbags go. which makes perfect sense; while runway clothes might come and go seasonally, handbags usually last over an arc of at least several seasons, which means that when a designer knows that she and her deputies will be departing, it doesn’t make much sense from either a creative or logistical perspective to launch something new and then right away hand the reins to other people. In this case, the person arriving to fill Philo’s shoes is Hedi Slimane, and his view of the Céline woman will almost certainly diverge greatly from the brand we know now. So, no use in doing too many new things now, especially in bags.
That means that our first look at Céline’s Pre-Fall 2018 collection, which has now hit boutiques and the brand’s website, is filled with a lot of familiar favorites from the years of Philo’s enormously successful tenure at the brand, including many colors of Trio Bags, Luggage Totes, Belt Bags, Cabas Totes and more, as well as new iterations of the big Bag line that launched for spring. If you’re looking for one last piece of Philo’s legacy, there are plenty of options to choose from over the next couple months. most of these designs will continue on under Slimane for the next couple seasons at least, but this is the last collection where she was officially at the helm.
The only totally new bag to be found in this collection is the Made In Tote, which comes in three sizes and two materials (leather and textile), both bearing a large version of the Céline logo and origin stamp that’s usually found in tiny gold print on the brand’s leather bags. The totes are simple and unsubtle, and they feel like both a clear statement of what the brand stands for and a perfectly loud logo piece that fits what much of fashion’s elite wants right now. So maybe I was wrong, maybe it is a bang.
Check out all of the new Made In Totes, plus a selection of the season’s other new options below. You can view the full collection via Céline.
Céline big Bag bucket in Crocodile
$24,800
Céline frame evening Clutch
$2,200
Céline large Made In Tote
$1,700
Céline medium big Bag
$2,650
Céline medium classic Box Bag
$6,900
Céline medium classic Box Bag
$4,350
Céline medium frame Bag
$2,900
Céline medium Made In Tote
$2,650
Céline medium Made In Tote
$1,500
Céline medium Made In Tote
$2,650
Céline medium Made In Tote
$1,500
Céline Micro Belt Bag
$2,300
Céline Micro Luggage Tote
$3,400
Céline mini Belt Bag
$2,500
Céline mini clasp Bag
$3,900
Céline Nano Belt Bag
$2,000
Céline Nano Belt Bag
$2,000
Céline Nano Luggage Tote
$2,900
Céline Sangle small bucket Bag
$1,550
Céline small big Bag
$2,750
Céline small Cabas Phantom Tote
$1,850
Céline small Cabas Tote
$1,300
Céline
Céline small Made In Tote
$1,300
Céline Soft medium clasp Bag
$2,400
