Chloè Revolutionizing Femininity
Chloè is a luxury French fashion house, founded by Gaby Aghion with her ideal of establishing a free spirited sense of femininity. Aghion revolutionized the fashion industry by making high-quality fashion more accessible to all. She coined the phrase “Pret a Porter” or “Ready to Wear.” This caused a shift within luxury fashion, as high fashion became more accessible for an everyday woman. Through this revolution, the brand established its ethos for providing chic outfits for women. The embracement of femininity, and fluidity of designs reflect a modern and empowered woman. So how has Chloè upheld this idea of creating designs embracing femininity throughout the brand’s evolution?
After Chloè’s founding in 1952, Aghion recruited Karl Lagerfield to work alongside her. Not many people associate Lagerfield with Chloè, rather one may associate him with brands like Fendi and Chanel. However, his time at Chloè had a tremendous impact on his career. At this time, Lagerfield was not a household name, in fact Chloè was his break into brands like Fendi and Chanel. During Karl Lagerfield’s time with Chloè, he brought surrealist imagery to life in designs, while maintaining the flowy silhouettes central to Chloè (British Vogue, 2023). Lagerfield brought the “empowered, confident woman” to Chloè, revolutionizing the ways in which feminine designs were perceived.
Following Lagerfield, Martine Sitbon became creative director of Chloè in 1987. Sitbon was the first female designer of the French house since Aghion herself, marking a significant shift for the brand. Sitbon perfectly balanced romanticism with street style influences, while also refocusing the brand to move to a modern era. All while staying true to the brand’s desire to create this effortlessly chic femininity. Call it “rock and romance.” Lagerfeld himself named Sitbon “the only living French designer”. Martine Sitbon challenged norms, bringing a transformative approach to the classic soft femininity displayed by Chloè.
Fresh out of school, Stella McCartney was named creative director of Chloé, following Sitbon. She was the youngest creative director of the French fashion house. McCartney received a lot of backlash, seeing as she was a young hotshot with a rockstar father. However, McCartney also brought a hot new audience to Chloè. This shift in audience can be recognized through the slogan tee from S/S01 read: “Keep your bananas off my melons”. And hence, a new Chloé audience was born.
Following McCartney, Phoebe Philo took the reins of the brand. Philo’s most notable contribution to the brand is the creation of the Paddington bag. This was one of the first “It girl” bags emphasizing Chloè’s impact on how femininity has been displayed since the brand’s creation.
Moving onto a more modern Chloè, Ramsay-Levi takes the lead. The first French designer since Saighon herself. Ramsay- Levi brought earthy palettes and fluid silhouettes which are refreshed through crisp edges, and angular shapes. She wanted to establish these strong silhouettes to empower women of all kinds; central to the brand’s ethos.
Modern day creative directors like Gabriela Hearst and most recently Chemena Kamali, have embraced Chloè’s history. In Kamali’s most recent collection for the brand, she demonstrates intimate knowledge of Chloè’s signature styles. Chloè is all about a sense of freshness within dress and whimsicality something Kamali did not stray from in this collection.
Chloé has continually revolutionized femininity by embracing change while remaining rooted in its brand ethos. From Gaby Aghion’s pioneering spirit of accessible luxury, to Karl Lagerfeld’s playful romanticism, mixed with Martine Sitbon’s edgy take on femininity, each era has reshaped how women view fashion as a means of expression. The brand has consistently empowered women with designs that celebrate individuality, freedom, and self-expression. Chloé’s legacy lies in its ability to evolve with the times while maintaining an unwavering commitment to authentic, multifaceted femininity, making it a trailblazer in the world of fashion.
References:
AnOther. (2023, September 18). Rev and the return of cult designer Martine Sitbon. https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/15095/rev-and-the-return-of-cult-designer-martine-sitbon#:~:text=Working%20under%20her%20own%20name,Lagerfeld’s%20famous%20tenure%20there.
AnOther. (2019, February 28). A brief history of the wonder women of chloé. https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/11548/wonder-women-of-chloe-phoebe-philo-stella-mccartney-natacha-ramsay-levi-aw19
Borrelli-Persson, L. (2021, September 30). From the Paddington to the Marice Bag, a history of Chloé handbags. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/chloe-handbags
Chan, E. (2023, March 30). Karl Lagerfeld-era Chloé should be your next vintage investment. British Vogue. https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/vintage-chloe-karl-lagerfeld#:~:text=While%20vintage%20Chanel%20will%20always,is%20long%20overdue%20a%20revival.
Written by Mariana DeTitta
Copyedited by Emily Arreola
Graphic by Nelli Schneemaier