Michael Rider, the newly-appointed incumbent creative director of Celine, began his tenure at the brand with show notes that spelt out his vision for the French maison. “Celine stands for quality, for timelessness and for style, ideals that are difficult to catch, and even harder to hold on to,” he wrote.
This set the tone for his debut collection, a panoply that took the format of an American voyager in Paris, but more importantly, set the stage for the return of one of the house’s most enduring silhouettes: The Celine Phantom bag.
The top-handle accessory was made anew for this new chapter, issued in a Yves Klein blue, midnight black and rich burgundy that complemented the sharp tailoring, billowing trousers, preppy knitwear and nonchalant bourgeois air that defined the spring 2026 collection.
Of course, only months prior had Chemna Kamali reintroduced the Chloé Paddington bag, complete with its signature chunky lock and signature wine bottle shape, during the brand’s autumn/winter 2025 collection. Two iconic accessories from the 2010s making a comeback within weeks of one another is surely not a coincidence in the fashion industry. So, why is Celine banking on nostalgia, despite this fresh start?
What is the Celine Phantom Bag?
The year was 2011. Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot, One Direction were topping the charts and, across the channel, Britain’s own Phoebe Philo held the reins of the brand, which was then stylised with the signature acute. Riding high on the success of the Luggage bag, her first "It" bag for the luxuriate, Philo unveiled a slightly larger iteration for the pre-fall collection.
Marked by a larger wingspan, pseudo east-west shape and a zipper that evoked collective pareidolia—a psychological phenomenon that refers to the brain’s ability to discern a face out of inanimate objects— the Phantom became a beacon for everything Philo stood for. (See: Inconspicuous elegance with an artistic flair.)
To Philotes, the name for the designer’s adherents, the Phantom bag is the epitome of "Old Céline", the epithet fans have given her post. While there’s always a reverence for the tenures of yore—Tom Ford for Gucci and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel call to mind—"Old Céline" remains almost reverent. For Brenda Weischer, also known by her social media handle @brendahashtag, this period of fashion history is so enduring for how she captured a moment in time and distilled it in a way that could be worn forever.
“There are not many designers that combine fun, wearability, progression and art in their design for womenswear. There are women who don’t want a full sheer mini Saint Laurent dress, but also not a floor-length kaftan from The Row, and Phoebe served them!”
Based between Berlin and New York, the German fashion writer, consultant, content creator and tastemaker tells me over email that Philo’s influence extends further than just her creation, making a comeback over a decade later. Those who are familiar with her career, legacy and eponymous label will know this first-hand, too. But as Weischer puts it, “everyone who worked under Phoebe during the Céline years went on to take major roles and helped shape our aesthetics and how we dress, so I think that speaks for itself.”
On the Phantom specifically, it’s a full circle moment for both Celine and Rider. The American designer opened his personal letter by recognising the time he spent at the brand under Philo’s tutelage. For the uninitiated, Rider cut his teeth alongside the likes of Daniel Lee and Matthieu Blazy, who went on to hold positions at Burberry, Bottega Veneta and Chanel, as a protégé of Philo. Rider was most recently at Ralph Lauren.
“Coming back to Celine… in a changed world, has been incredibly emotional for me. And a complete joy,” he said. To Weischer, this moment of honouring his mentor was one of the most symbolic elements of the Phantom’s return. “Creative directors always want to erase everything that their predecessor did, and I’m glad Rider chose to go the other way, paying homage.”
“Why not bring back something that worked?”
Is the Celine Phantom Coming Back?
One runway appearance, however, does not make a revival. Still, the overall sentiment surrounding this shape’s reprisal is one of general positivity. The Celine Phantom is not expected to hit shelves until next year at minimum, so despite this long lead time, the comeback has already become fodder for headlines and a term that’s garnering interest on Google. One of the UK’s leading rental platforms, By Rotation, has seen a 100% increase in searches for Celine’s Phantom bag. ByRotation founder, Eshita Kabra-Davies, tells me that this appetite speaks to nostalgia dressing being in full force.
Weischer sees things slightly differently. “You can’t introduce a new shape of bag every season, creating your own vicious cycle; people get bored so quickly,” she says. When I asked her about the qualities of today’s landscape that made the Phantom a suitable contender, she told me that “a good tote never goes out of style” and “since its debut, there are now so many men more willing to rock a bag for their daily or travel needs, so I think the demand will be there!”
Whether Rider’s Phantom will actually endure or be a fleeting trend that people disregard in the same way they did Philo’s Phantom once it fell out of fashion is too early to say. Early adopters of the original style include Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Rihanna, so it’s not a gamble to assume the celebrity set will be scrambling to be one of the first to carry this silhouette as part of their off-duty looks. “Rider is an incredible hire and might lure back some of the old clients that were lost under Slimane, without abandoning the new Celine crowd,” Weischer adds.
As for what will prove more popular over time? There’s not too much change between the old and new styles, but just enough to make owning both a discernible marker of status.
“There will obviously be a trickle down effect on the old one on the secondary market, and some might even bring theirs back out of their dust bags, but the popularity of the new model depends on how big [Celine] will push it,” Weischer says. “We won’t see it on the streets until spring or summer 2026 unless they are already producing it now.” We wait with baited breath…
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