As Céline ditches its signature shade of navy, we explore Phoebe Philo's bright new dawn

The news came at 11.30am on an idle Tuesday in January: following eight very happy years Phoebe Philo had decided to sever her ties with navy blue.

The revelation, whispered to fashion editors visiting Céline’s Parisian HQ, hit with an almighty clatter. Gwyneth and Chris’s conscious uncoupling we could deal with but Philo’s decision to shut the door on the colour we couldn’t love more if we tried hurt like hell. Was this conscious uncolouring? Certainly. And after almost a decade of adorning the world with knits, coats and trousers in the hue, Philo seemed more than entitled to a break from her beau. 

But what would stand in its place? Did the oracle’s rejection of our favourite neutral mean that a life lived in full technicolor lay ahead?

It looks like it - for a few moments at least. But here’s the good news. The results are quite marvellous. Landing in stores this week, Céline’s pre-fall collection is a festival with everything from chartreuse to pistachio and striking ultraviolet knocking our dear old blue off the top spot. 

Experimenting with texture and colour in a mash-up that is undoubtedly her most colour- heavy in seasons (ever), fashion’s most famous introvert unveils clothes to stand out from the crowd. 

Of course, this being Philo - a woman who understands the concept of moderation like no other - there is nothing remotely lurid or crass on offer here. Instead, the collection brings with it a new approach to wearing colour and something of a reset for our wardrobes. 

After all, where Philo goes, the rest of the world follows, which means it can only be a matter of minutes before Zara commences its bi-seasonal dissection of the London designer’s latest vision. 

What you need to know right now is that the new way to wear colour is from head to toe. It’s also imperative that you understand the practice of mono-ombre dressing: or, put in simpler terms, the idea that you start with trousers or a skirt with your chosen hue in its lightest shade and add darker gradients as you work your way up the body, and vice-versa. 

For Philo’s collection, that means deep-purple trousers worn layered under an ultra- violet suede kaftan and pistachio trousers teamed with an oversized blouse in sage.

The house’s colour reboot also sees Céline’s signature courts repurposed in banana yellow. Sound terrifying? It isn’t, notably because by rejecting neutrals as we know them, Philo has offered up brights as a new wardrobe staple.

Pared back in silhouette and free from embellishment, Céline’s colour wheel works because it shows the designer’s familiar breed of minimalism in a fresh, new light.

Still feeling blue? Didn’t think so.

True blue Phoebe Philo has ditched her signature shade in favour of a bright new dawn. Go boldly, says Karen Dacre