FASHION

Madelyn Cline Brings Back Phoebe-Era Celine a Decade Later

by Matthew Velasco

Madelyn Cline in Phoebe Philo's Celine.
@mimicuttrell

Phoebe Philo is busy with her eponymous label, but her time at Celiné still looms large in the hearts of cult fashion fans. Just look at actress Madelyn Cline, who slipped into an angelic design from Philo’s spring 2015 runway show.

Cline, working with Ariana Grande’s longtime stylist Mimi Cuttrell, sourced the archival piece from the L.A.-based Tab Vintage. Cline’s knit dress featured a simple sleeveless cut at the top before flowing into tiers of party fringe below that was practically asking to be danced in. As Philo would intend, Cline and Cuttrell let the dress speak for itself, opting to pair it with red knife-point shoes for a pop of color. Cline accented her look with a slick updo, a glossy lip, and smokey eye makeup.

@mimicuttrell

Coincidentally, Philo presented Cline’s dress on the Paris runways in September 2014—making the piece almost exactly a decade old. At the time, the British designer showed the dress with a black clutch and butter yellow shoes.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Philo served as Celiné’s creative director from 2008 to 2017 before taking an extended leave from the fashion industry until last year. The designer’s minimal and luxe pieces amassed a cult following, one that only intensified when Hedi Slimane took over the French brand and did away with the accented “é.”

Fashion nerds aren’t the only ones searching for Philo-era pieces, though. Celebrities like Cline seem to be on the hunt, too. Earlier this summer in June, Kim Kardashian put a Horse Girl twist on a rare sleeveless top from Celiné’s pre-fall 2011 collection. She wore the piece with flesh-toned tights and PVC heels. Phoebe’s eponymous label has also been making its rounds among the celebrity crowd, with everyone from Kendall Jenner to Hailey Bieber sporting her new designs.

Between Cline’s old Celiné and Philo’s new Phoebe Philo, the Brit is making her case as the cult designer of the fashion world.