Designer Deep Dive: Chloé
I’m so excited to bring you another installment of “Designer Deep Dive” where on the first Friday of each month I profile a new designer. Last month I debuted my first post in this series with Gucci - I was so inspired after watching House of Gucci that I couldn’t resist doing some more research on the luxury brand. I loved writing that post so much and the entire research process, that I decided to make it a monthly recurring series! Today we are diving into the world of the French designer, Chloé. My love for this designer has been on going for over a decade now, and I specifically remember writing a biography on Chloé for one of my college classes at FIDM. This designer speaks to me on a few different levels, the first being that it’s a French fashion house and I, too, have French heritage in my family 😉🇫🇷. I’m also drawn to Chloé’s timeless, romantic designs and neutral color palettes. I love that they remain on-trend with their designs yet they don’t feel trendy; the stay true to their brand identity which is so admirable. The fashion house also has a rich history of cultivating other legendary designers who eventually made history in the fashion industry (do the names Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney ring any bells?). Without further ado, let’s learn more about Chloé’s origins and how the luxurious French designer was born!
Gaby Aghion was born and raised in Egypt and moved to Paris in 1945 after marrying her husband, Raymond, at 19 years of age. At this time in the fashion world, there really was no such thing as buying high-end clothing “off the rack”; if you wanted a haute couture gown, you had to have one custom made at a fashion house which could take months. Gaby saw a unique opportunity to create quality garments without the long waiting period that women were so accustomed to at the time. She founded Chloé in 1952 with the intention of giving women luxury ready-to-wear that was modern and easily accessible. She named her brand after one of her dear friends who she felt embodied the concept of delicate glamour that she was after. Gaby launched Chloé with business partner Jacques Lenoir, which allowed Gaby to focus on the creative aspects of running a fashion house; she designed her very first collection that same year. In 1957, Chloé debuted their first fashion show at Café de Flore, a popular hang out spot amongst Parisian artists, and it also happened to be one of Gaby’s favorite cafes. The first show was a hit! Gaby’s effortless and ethereal creations were a refreshing contrast to the more rigid clothes that were common at the time. In 1958, Gaby hired her first designer, Gérard Pipat, to work on Chloé’s ready-to-wear designs. It wasn’t until 1964 when she hired a young, German designer by the name of Karl Lagerfeld that the brand really took flight.
Chloé dress designed by Karl Lagerfeld in 1967. The “Astoria” dress.
Karl Lagerfeld was a new designer on the scene when he joined the fashion house, but quickly gained recognition for his romantic, bohemian designs that Chloé became recognized for on an international scale. He was appointed creative director in 1966 and his designs were seen on women like Jacqueline Kennedy Onnasis and Bridget Bardot. He was the driving force behind Chloé’s brand of ethereal and sophisticated clothing with a bohemian flare which is still the essence of the house today. He once said, “The essence of modern dressing -- unstructured, weightless, totally feminine,” which perfectly describes his creative vision for the brand. The dress shown above is Karl’s 1967 ‘Astoria’ dress which demonstrates his unique ability to create clothing that exuded bohemian romance through bold prints on flowing dresses.
Karl left Chloé in 1982 after being appointed creative director of Chanel, but came back again in 1992, devoting a total of 25 years to the French fashion house. When you think of Karl Lagerfeld, you might think of clean lines and black and white color ways that he was known for wearing himself, or you might think of his more prominent collections that he designed for Chanel and Fendi, but it’s also important to remember his profound impact on Chloé. Had it not been for him, we would likely see an entirely different brand today!
Karl Lagerfeld at Chloe in 1979.
A new creative director was appointed in 1987, Martine Sitbon, and she was the first female designer of the house since Gaby herself. During her 5-year stint, Martine continued to produce feminine designs that were true to the house’s identity and was known for creating ad campaigns featuring famous supermodels like Christy Turlington and Claudia Schiffer. These women not only added to the cult following that Chloé had started to generate, but also made being a “Chloé Girl” very desirable for women across the globe.
Stella McCartney walking the runway with Naomi Campbell, just one year before she would start her own namesake label.
After Karl Lagerfeld’s second stint at Chloé from 1992-1997, a new creative director took the reins, who was also the youngest to become head of the fashion house at just 25 years old: Stella McCartney, daughter of music legend Sir Paul McCartney. She had just graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design and she brought a youthfulness to Chloé that the house hadn’t seen before. Her designs were playful and sexy while still maintaining the romance that Chloé was known for. She also brought a sense of British cheekiness to her collections, like a tee from her Spring/Summer 2001 collection that read: “Keep your bananas off my melons.” Stella is also known for incorporating her love of horses into the fashion house; she grew up riding them in the countryside with her family. In a 2017 interview she said, “Horses are so magical, so superior. They have this incredible strength. There is something very sexy and majestic about a horse. And they have this amazing balance between masculine and feminine.” Stella continued to use horses as inspiration for her designs even after she left Chloé in 2001 to launch her own namesake label.
Nicky Hilton with the Paddington bag.
Phoebe Philo was next in line to lead the French fashion house, who happened to be one of Stella’s classmates at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. She experienced much success with the label and during her reign she put Chloé on the map within the leather goods category. Phoebe was known for creating covetable handbags that women fawned over, but perhaps most notably was the first ‘It’ bag: the Paddington. It debuted in 2005, had a rounded shape with a padlock closure, and could be seen on the arm of pretty much all female celebrities (this Google search proves my point 😂). It amassed huge waitlists with women world-wide and set Chloé on a trajectory for creating iconic bags that exuded the houses’s bohemian romance vibe. Just 4 years later in 2009, the Marcie bag was born and it was another huge hit amongst celebrities and customers. Known for it’s iconic leather flap closure and leather piping, this bag would go on to be a staple for Chloé, beloved by consumers still to this very day! The house has continued to release variations of this bag season after season, but the original essence of the bag remains the same: feminine, sophisticated, and elegant.
Olivia Palermo wearing the Drew bag at the Chloé Fall/Winter 2016 show in Paris.
Fast-forward to 2011 when Claire Waight Keller was appointed as creative director of Chloé, she redefined the “Chloe Girl” image with her fluid and airy silhouettes that embodied a “cool girl-chic” femininity. Claire’s reign at the house also involved the debut of the Drew bag in 2014, another iconic silhouette that was at first glance simple, but so chic. It remained a staple handbag silhouette for nearly 6 years and has only recently been phased out, no longer for sale on the brand’s website or at other luxury retailers. The Faye was another ‘It’ bag that was born under Claire’s direction, further proving that her collections never failed to seduce.
Chloé remains an iconic fashion house that has a strong history of female leadership, creating luxury apparel, shoes, and handbags that remain true to the vision that Gaby had for her beloved brand: accessible, quality apparel with a romantic and effortless flare. Just think: if it wasn’t for Gaby Aghion, what we know of ready-to-wear clothing today might be so different! Gabriela Hearst is the current creative director of the house (bringing it full circle with another ‘Gaby’ leading the way!) and has a strong passion for sustainability, which can be seen in the current collection with this recycled cashmere dress. While it’s very common for creative directors to come and go within fashion houses, I feel that the Chloé aesthetic has remained consistent over the years which makes me hopeful for the future of this beloved designer of mine. It’s been my dream to own a Chloé bag for quite some time now and you’ll be the first to know when I finally become a Chloé girl 😍! Are you a fan of this designer? Who should I feature next month? Let me know in the comments!