After her studies at the Central Saint Martins College in London in 1997, Phoebe Philo started to work as fashion design assistant at the French label Chloé. In 2001, she succeeded the former creative director Stella McCartney. Back then, she designed romantic and girly dresses with fluid silhouettes – today she does the exact opposite: Philo combines long lines with clear masculine silhouettes. Furthermore, her shoes set against the usual ideal of beauty, as they are not typically elegant but first of all comfortable. In 2011, the “Furkenstocks” were launched. They remind of the original Birkenstock slippers but they are padded with mink fur.

Shortly afterwards, the “granny-shoes” trend was in its full flow when women were wearing Céline's elastic ballerinas with square stacked heels. Well, it’s definitely more convenient to rush through a stressful working day in a pair of these instead of stilettos with tiny heels. Overall and especially with those smart, sporty and minimalistic collections, the 44-year-old designer influenced the classical wardrobe of women like hardly anyone else did before. Six years ago, the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers America) even named her the “International Designer of the Year”.  In 2014, the Time Magazine listed her in the "TIME 100" ranking of the most influential people worldwide. Moreover, Sarah Mower of American Vogue noted: “It’s the work of a woman working for women, who simply gets it.”