Why 90s Phoebe Philo Celine still sets the pace
Resale prices, the cult pieces to watch, and where the deals still hide.
Phoebe Philo's decade at Celine — 2008 to 2018 — produced a body of work that the resale market still hasn't finished pricing. Two years after she left, prices on certain bags doubled. Five years after, the trousers caught up. Now even the t-shirts are pulling premiums.
The cult pieces are well documented at this point. The Trio bag. The Phantom Luggage. The trio of trouser silhouettes — wide-leg, cropped, and the high-waisted Hanna. Anything from the SS15 marble print collection. These trade hands fast and sell at or near retail.
The deals, if you're patient, hide in the in-between collections. Pre-fall 2013, resort 2016, the late knitwear runs from 2017 — these are the seasons most resellers can't price confidently, which means buyers willing to do the homework can find Philo-era pieces at 40% of what the headline lots command.
Where to look: Vestiaire's Paris-based sellers, who often inherited pieces and price by feel. Yahoo Japan Auctions for the late men's-line collaborations. Estate listings on 1stDibs that get categorized under the wrong designer name. Local consignment in cities with strong fashion week histories — Antwerp especially.
