TALE OF TWO CITIES: When Celine secured Phoebe Philo to be its new creative director, it agreed to let the British designer base the French brand’s design studios in London. Now it looks like the brand also is open to new frontiers in terms of realizing her collections. Sources said Celine, owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has been in talks with Milan-based Aeffe SpA about a production agreement. The likelihood of a deal could not be learned, but it is understood that talks have been recent. Marco Gobbetti, chief executive officer at Celine, declined to comment on the firm’s production plans. However, it is understood that Celine is exploring using several producers, and Aeffe could be among them. An Aeffe spokeswoman denied that the two firms are in discussions. Aeffe operates the Moschino, Alberta Ferretti and Pollini brands, and produces collections for Jean Paul Gaultier. Gobbetti confirmed that Philo will present her first collection for spring 2010 on the runway in Paris this fall, with the Celine studio turning out collections in the interim. “This is not about a trend or a runway, but building the foundation of the wardrobe of Phoebe for Celine,” he said.