What's So Cool About Céline Anyway?

If I watched the Céline Spring '17 runway with my husband, he wouldn't get it. And that's a fact. Phoebe Philo's never been one to follow convention; but she does make trends, whether or not my husband believes it. What starts as a bold, crazy idea becomes a way of dress. This season, she begins our wardrobe disruption with proportional play — oversize suit jackets with flowing bottoms of every kind, chiffon skirts that move, even leather trousers that feel light and breezy, then suit bottoms cropped to reveal a layer of breezy sheer fabric hanging to the ankles underneath. Who would've thought such a trick adds anything to the outfit? But, watching the catwalk, I'm convinced it does. There's subtlety, then big brazen changes, like mismatched shoes in bright colours that feel delightfully different, not silly. It's not the stuff of sensationalised fashion, but smaller details that make you rethink what you're wearing and how you wear it. In that way, it's always an exciting show — dare I say, even a bit sexy.