The World Really Needs A Designer Who Designs

Some designers are quieter than others. No one is more whisper-soft than Phoebe Philo, a woman who prefers her clothes to do the talking while she remains behind the scenes.

Fashion lovers have been whipping themselves into a frenzy since she announced, earlier this week, that she’ll soon be back in the game, breaking her four year silence via a carefully worded press release detailing her first eponymous brand. Launching in September, it will sell “clothing and accessories rooted in exceptional quality and design,” said Philo, adding that she was “very much looking forward to being back in touch with my audience and people everywhere.”

As of now, there’s no word as to whether Philo will be “back in touch” via a catwalk show, or whether she’ll quietly launch her collection online. She has now deleted the Instagram post that also detailed her announcement, leaving her grid blank. Everyone in the communications industry should watch the execution of this comeback with a gimlet eye. How a media-shy designer plans to connect with a digital-first consumer will be interesting: of course there’s a way, and it’s bound to be her way, since she has only given LVMH a minority stake in her new venture, leaving her in control. 

At least, I hope so. That LVMH has also recently announced Pharrell Williams as the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear is a reminder that the world really needs a designer who designs – not just one who curates. Here’s to quality and quietness: fashion needs more of both.