Monday, October 05, 2015

Céline's Spring 2016 Collection Adds a Gamine Touch to its Signature Minimalism

Céline's Spring 2016 Collection Adds a Gamine Touch to its Signature Minimalism:

A look from Céline's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
A look from Céline's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
This season, many designers — including some of the industry's more minimalistic ones — have embraced brighter, bigger and at times, busier silhouettes and styles. At Prada, makeup guru Pat McGrath coated models's lips with a layer of her high-impact gold pigment for an uncharacteristically bold beauty look; at Chloé, Creative Director Clare Waight Keller traded her signature frou-frou femininity for colorful festival-wear. Dior's spring offerings were, admittedly, much simpler than Raf Simons's previous track record, but with a 40-ton mountain constructed of 300,000 delphinium stems, the show's presentation was far from uncomplicated.

On Sunday, we learned that this spring's widespread grandeur also includes Céline's Phoebe Philo, who jazzed up the label's traditionally pared-down clothing with hits of lace and embellishment. For a label widely heralded as jump-starting fashion's minimalist movement, Céline's spring range was far more gamine than it's been in the eight years since Philo rebooted the house.

Don't get us wrong: Philo's sharp, clean creations still served as the collection's bread and butter, with silk slip dresses, floaty trousers and structural, shin-length dresses encompassing the majority of the line. Seven of the 41 looks featured crisp frocks or tops with distinctly puffy shoulders — an embellishment that will surely be imitated by plenty of contemporary brands come 2016. Two long-sleeved, ankle-length dresses in putty and peach served as distinct foils to the more architectural pieces in the collection, including a number of graceful blazers and overcoats.

What was most memorable about Céline's latest range was not the minimalism that defines the luxury label but, instead, the lacy detailing that gave Philo's simplicity a feminine boost. We would be remiss, of course, if we didn't spotlight the accessories, including a briefcase bag with a plush underside.

Homepage photo: Imaxtree

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