Designer Spotlight: Chlóe
Chloé is a French luxury fashion house that was founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion, a Parisian-born Egyptian. The brand is known for its romantic and feminine designs, featuring fluid lines, soft fabrics, and delicate prints.
Under Gaby Aghion's leadership, Chloé became known for its innovative designs, and the brand quickly gained a reputation for being at the forefront of the emerging ready-to-wear market. Aghion's designs were seen as an antidote to the more formal and rigid styles of the time, and she focused on creating clothes that were both beautiful and comfortable.
In 1963, Karl Lagerfeld was appointed as the creative director of Chloé, where his collections became a go-to for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Brigitte Bardot. Lagerfeld's designs were characterized by their playful, whimsical nature, featuring bold colors, prints, and patterns until he left in 1983. During this tenure, in 1975, Lagerfeld also introduced the brand's signature fragrance aptly titled, Chloé. The late designer returned again for another stint at the house’s helm between 1992 and 1997.
It was in 1987 that Martine Sitbon took over, and she continued to build on the brand's legacy of feminine and romantic designs. She created strong widely-referenced ad campaigns featuring the supers of the day: Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, and Helena Christensen. Sitbon was known for her more minimalist aesthetic, focusing on clean lines and simple silhouettes. Stella McCartney succeeded Sitbon as creative director in 1997, and during her tenure, she injected a youthful and modern energy into the brand. McCartney's designs were characterized by their playful use of prints, bold colors, and feminine shapes.
In 2001, Phoebe Philo became the creative director of Chloé, and she brought a more refined and sophisticated approach to the brand. Philo's designs were marked by their understated elegance, featuring luxurious fabrics and clean lines. After Philo's departure in 2006, Paulo Melim Andersson and Hannah MacGibbon both took turns as creative director, with MacGibbon bringing a more romantic and feminine aesthetic back to the brand.
