Céline - Spring/Summer 2011

In just 2 seasons, Phoebe Philo has succeeded in making Céline one of the most respected labels in the fashion world. Copied by everyone and adored by the fashion editors, her collections have literally knocked over the trends, bringing back a sporty asceticism set against a Helmut Lang-ian background. Despite the fact that Summer 2011 is still about simplicity, the former Chloé creative director has nevertheless gone for a bit more softness than usual.

Once the rules are established, the design guidelines defined and the fashionistas won over, all the houses find themselves faced with the same problem: how to continue to stay in the good graces of the fashion powers that be.

Perfectly aware that nothing is more ephemeral than the infatuations with a particular designer or label, Philo chose to bring a bit of lightness to the Céline austerity in order to keep her audience captive.

As a result, the spring/summer 2011 collection does not break the rules set by the mistress of the house (she is continuing with her variations on the uncluttered gentlewoman silhouette), but it does also offer looser volumes, more relaxed fabrics, handcrafted materials, and also - for the first time -prints.

Dominated by various shades of white, chalk and ivory, the Céline wardrobe uses color with a certain parsimony (which increases its impact tenfold). The few bands of emerald green, cobalt blue and orange that wrap around and run down the sides of the full-cut masculine pants brilliantly bring together sportswear with a reference to the smoking jacket ensemble.

Also on the catwalk were motifs seemingly borrowed from vintage scarves, whose slightly bohemian aspect was tempered by treating them in such a way as to render them intensely graphic.

Philo has also fallen for exotic influences this season, offering a bit of extravagance to Céline-mania. This takes the shape of a sublime white and damask kimono, which in her hands becomes a veritable jewel of elegant simplicity - or in the form of Berber-esque knits combining several knitting techniques.

This being said, Philo may be less urban than usual, yet she still continues to conceive of pieces that stand up well against the German Jil Sander austerity. Whether it be via variations on the shirt (playing with sleeve length as well as with shirtfront detailing), raw-cut stiffer pieces, visible working zippers or even the rough use of denim, the designer continues to bring sportswear to the border of conceptual.

Click here to view the entire collection: http://www.style.com/S2011RTW-CELINE