Meet the Celine Alumni Heading Up Bottega Veneta & Maison Kitsuné
Time for fans of old Celine bemoaning the departure of Phoebe Philo to listen up. While there has already been much discussion about Philo’s next step and which labels will replace the old Celine-shaped hole left in people’s wardrobes, the design alumni of Celine and their whereabouts have fallen under the radar. Until now.
First up is Daniel Lee. The former Celine director of ready-to-wear was appointed to head up Bottega Veneta in July and the house has released his debut men’s and women’s collection for pre-fall ’19.
Exaggerated square-toe pumps are done in both the brand’s signature intrecciato weave and fishnet mesh, which fuses Lee’s off-key aesthetic with Bottega Veneta’s heritage design. But it’s the pair of turquoise ankle boots that stands out from the rest. For men’s, leather sneakers come with woven stitching, cleverly mirroring the laces.
The second Celine-related move comes from the Paris-meets-Tokyo label Maison Kitsuné. The brand has announced the appointment of South Korean designer Yuni Ahn as its new creative director. She will lead the design team across both men’s and womenwear with her debut collection, which will be presented on Jan. 18, 2019 in Paris during Men’s Fashion Week. Ahn’s last gig was Celine design director for jewelry and sunglasses.
For Kitsuné founders Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki, this appointment marks the next step for the brand. “We are convinced her talent, vision and savoir-faire will help bring the brand further success and grow Maison Kitsuné into the independent Paris fashion house we’re aiming to become,” they said.
It appears that Celine graduates are bound for success. Case in point: Prior to joining Mulberry in 2016, Johnny Coca was Celine’s head design director for leather goods, shoes, hard accessories, jewelry and sunglasses.
As for Philo, there were rumors she was waiting for a role at Chanel, but the French luxury house has denied those claims (privately pointing to Lagerfeld’s second-in-command Virginie Viard). Though one can never be too sure, right? Either way, we’re sure plenty of people will be scanning “7 Days Out,” Netflix’s new series about what goes into the making of a couture show, for clues when it airs on Dec. 21.
Want more?
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