Now renowned for chic womenswear as well as luxury leather handbags that are often recognized for their iconic gold-tone fastening and hardware, French fashion house Celine got its start in children’s shoes.
In 1945, Céline Vipiana and her husband, Richard, opened a made-to-measure shoe shop for children at 52 rue de Malte in Paris. Designer Céline’s name graced the business, alongside a red elephant designed by French cartoonist Raymond Peynet that served as the company’s first logo.
In 1967, following an expansion into women’s shoes and leather accessories, the Vipianas decided to expand their company’s reach into women’s ready-to-wear, focusing on high-end sportswear. Céline Vipiana, who remained chief designer until her death in 1997, would oversee a range of fashion that would reach an international audience with a pared-down elegance and timeless style.
The company quickly achieved widespread success with its new offerings, most notably its trench coat, which became a staple for the brand. In the 1970s, they expanded outside Paris with boutiques in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills and Hong Kong. In 1973, Céline Vipiana, inspired by chain links around the Arc de Triomphe, debuted the Blazon Chaîne motif of interlocking C’s. She began using it on a printed canvas and branding as well as accents on accessories, such as the Triomphe bag.
Vipiana’s designs were created to appeal as everyday fashion: Celine skirts, suits, fitted shirts, vests and coats were stylish but rooted in practicality. Quality, too, was paramount; Vipiana’s determination to deliver the best possible leather led to the opening of a studio in Florence, where the brand created its leather goods.
Vipiana died a year after her brand was acquired by Bernard Arnault’s luxury conglomerate LVMH for about $540 million. American designer Michael Kors then took the helm as creative director. Kors, too, was known for practical but chic ready-to-wear. He introduced such luxury staples as cashmere sets, smartly tailored pants and simple slip dresses, plus themed collections around jet-setter locales like Monte Carlo and Tahiti. Following Kors’s departure in 2004, onetime Burberry designer Roberto Menichetti took the job for just a year. He was followed by designer Phoebe Philo, the young British designer who is now credited with establishing Celine’s 21st-century style.
Philo created a distinct, minimal style that channeled the brand’s roots of practical simplicity with luxury materials. (“I just thought I’d clean it up,” she quipped of her debut collection in 2010.) Over the course of ten years, Philo turned the company into a beloved fixture of the fashion industry. In 2018, after Philo’s departure, the house tapped Hedi Slimane, former creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, as its new leader; he caused a stir when he famously removed the accent from the brand name. Controversial though it was, Slimane maintained it was a return to the label’s roots: an exercise in strong simplicity.
Find vintage Celine day dresses, handbags and other items on 1stDibs.
rare CELINE 2017 Phoebe Philo Animalerie Birdcage drop & stud earrings Pair
By Celine
Located in Hong Kong, NT
rare CELINE 2017 Phoebe Philo Animalerie Birdcage asymmetric gold tone asymmetric drop and stud earrings Pair Reference: TGAS/G00164 Brand: Celine Designer: Phoebe Philo Model: Anima...
rare OLD CELINE Phoebe Philo mirrored petal statement pin earrings Pair
By Celine
Located in Hong Kong, NT
rare OLD CELINE Phoebe Philo mirrored gold tone geometric petal statement pin earrings Pair Reference: TGAS/E00834 Brand: Celine Designer: Phoebe Philo Material: Metal Color: Gold Pa...
Celebration Princess Diamond Stud Earrings 0.98 TCW 18K White Gold w/Certificate
By Celebration Diamond
Located in San Diego, CA
CELEBRATION DIAMOND Style: Diamond Stud Earrings Serial Number: CEL552093 0.49 CT H SI2 / CEL552076 0.49 CT H SI1 Metal: 18KT White Gold Total Carat Weight: 0.98 TCW Diamond Shap...
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Round Starburst Moonstone and Diamond Stud Earrings
By Ri Noor
Located in Houston, TX
Round starburst moonstone and diamond stud earrings in 18k white gold.
GIA Certified Platinum Emerald Cut Diamond Studs 1.00 Carat Total
By Lili Jewelry
Located in New York, NY
1 CT diamonds set in low basket 4 prong push back style. GIA certificates for each diamond color G , vvs-vs in clarity. Lab tested guarantee all NATURAL mi...
Diamond, Platinum
Petite Emerald Cut Illusion Diamond Stud Earrings
By Ri Noor
Located in Houston, TX
Luxurious, yet versatile, these delicate stud earrings in 18k white gold, feature baguette diamonds and brilliant cut diamonds meticulously handcrafted in an emerald cut shape. 18k ...
18K Yellow Gold Large Nautical Rope Hoop Earrings
By Valentin Magro
Located in New York, NY
A nautical aura creates these timeless hoop earrings. Brilliant 18k yellow gold forms a half-open hoop. A strand of the same metal coils along the hoop as the rope. The half-open hoo...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Hexagon Sapphire and Diamond Earrings
By Ri Noor
Located in Houston, TX
Octagon sapphire and diamond earrings in 18 k white gold. 6 mm x 4 mm
Octagon Emerald and Diamond Earrings
By Ri Noor
Located in Houston, TX
Octagon Emerald and Diamond earrings in 18k white gold
$2,089Sale Price|20% Off
W 0.71 in D 0.71 in L 2.17 in
Art Nouveau Style White Diamond Pearl Tsavorite Yellow Gold "Birdcage" Earrings
By Luigi Ferrara
Located in Naples, IT
For any problems related to some materials contained in the items that do not allow shipping, please contact the seller with a private message to solve the problem. We can ship every...
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Tsavori...
Remembrance Onyx and Diamond Star Earrings
By Ri Noor
Located in Houston, TX
A collection of familiar and playful motifs, the Remembrance collection takes us back to our beginnings. The collection is comprised of solid 14k gold pieces and hand-carved gemstone...
Diamond, Onyx, 14k Gold
Tiffany & Co. Victoria Platinum Diamond Stud Earrings, 0.64ct, Modern
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Santa Barbara, CA
Four marquise diamonds per ear, arranged point-to-point into the Victoria flower, one of Tiffany & Company's most recognizable contemporary motifs. The small size is the everyday-wea...
Diamond, Platinum
18K Yellow Gold Pyramid Stud Earrings
By Valentin Magro
Located in New York, NY
The brilliance of gold is given prominence. A polished 18k yellow gold rhombus is the base with bars of the same material framing the edges. From each corner extends a gold arm that ...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
3 ctw Double Old Mine Pear shaped natural diamond solitaires set in platinum
By Ri Noor
Located in Houston, TX
Fully faceted to capture breathtaking brilliance, these antique old mine diamonds embody both radiance and the timeless romanticism unique to natural old mine stones. Each earring fe...
Diamond, Platinum