Phoebe Philo in London. Charlotte Hadden for The New York Times

Phoebe Philo’s first interview

The British designer Phoebe Philo, who has been called “the Chanel of her generation,” transformed both Chloé and Celine. Then she walked away from the industry almost seven years ago and pretty much dropped out of sight.

Late last year, Philo returned to start a brand in her name. Sky-high expectations faltered amid complaints about the prices, the vision and the impossible return policy. As she prepared for her second drop, she spoke with our chief fashion critic in her first formal interview in a decade.

“There may have been an expectation that I could have provided everything to everyone immediately,” Philo said. “And that’s just not possible. It takes time and effort to make most things that have meaning. One has to stand for something.”