>> Phoebe Philo introduced her first collection at Celine — for Cruise 2010 — yesterday, and it was all secrecy: no pictures were allowed at the preview.  Philo, dressed in olive fatigues, a black leather jacket and a putty silk blouse, Cathy Horyn reports, chatted with guests in the large raw space where her designs were being on racks with informal modeling: "It was a smart way to introduce the collection — the isolated debut rather than the big Paris blowout."

Style.com deemed the collection "spot-on" yesterday, and today, more outlets have had a chance to weigh in.  From Vogue: "Was it any good? Oh, yeah, and then some . . . It’s what Philo did so well at Chloé — a look that’s just cool, plain and simple, and which every girl is going to go crazy for."  WWD was less forthcoming with an opinion, but still seemed to approve: "Gone are the girly frills and eyelets in favor of a smart, far more austere and grown-up look rooted in classics."

The stiffer silhouettes are earning some comparisons to those at Balenciaga, but even Cathy Horyn, who can be hard to please, was pleased: "The central thing to know about [Phoebe's] Celine clothes, which are terrific for a number of reasons, is that they reflect an every-day style. By that I mean they are clothes you want to wear every day, whether you work in an office or a gallery, part-time or at home . . . She makes one of the strongest sportswear statements we’ve seen in some time."

The first pieces from the collection will start hitting Celine stores Nov. 15, with prices running $700 for trousers and silk tops, with jackets in the $1,500 to $2,500 range.  And the ad campaigns start up next Spring.