Minimalism according to Céline

While at Chloé, she unconditionally preferred cut over trend; today, she continues on her trajectory by reuniting Céline with the glory hours of Helmut Lang. Cerebral, demanding and very 90s, Phoebe Philo's wardrobe has become one of the season's sensations.

Whereas the fashionista's heart may be vacillating between Mad Men-esque elegance, 70s references, and the military comfort of a shearling bomber jacket, Céline's creative director is offering a collection this season that the 90s businesswoman would have surely adopted on the spot.

It should be said that by going to the extreme in bringing back the 80s, the designers should have expected to provoke a comeback of Helmut Lang-ian norms. Back in the 90s, it was in response to the flashy silhouettes then en vogue that Jil Sander and Lang decided to head off in a completely different direction, making it a point to propose silhouettes that were urban and minimalist.

This season, Philo follows directly in the path of those designers who, at that time, judged that fashion badly needed some rationality, clean lines and androgyny. This being said, the Céline wardrobe may initiate a trend for chic and minimalist cuts, but that does not mean that it is renouncing a certain sensuality.

with Jansenist qualities, the Céline silhouettes show themselves to be audacious and immodest. Transparent turtlenecks, sexy leathers and deceptively candid lace counterbalance the rigor of the straight cut, the pragmatism of a wool drape, or the masculine character of some of the pieces.

In other words, Céline may invite the fashionistas to rethink her wardrobe in a more urban mode (preferring neutral colors and ambitious materials), but it is also teaches how to add a bit of subtle femininity to the idea of sportswear.

Those who find themselves in agreement with the radical and ultra contemporary views of Phoebe Philo will target pieces that are a bit bourgeois (certainly), but modernized with asymmetric cuts, sophisticated clean lines and a mix and match of discreet luxury materials. By doing so, they will adopt for themselves this neo femininity, renewing the standards of seduction with intelligence and high demands.

The Céline wardrobe may decree the codes of a minimalism that is oh-so-21st century, but the fashionista will not be obliged to break her piggy bank to buy complete Philo outfits. A good number of mass-market pieces will allow them to compose a Céline-ian look at a much lower price...