Chloé
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Gaby Aghion, the founder of Chloé, arrived in Paris after World War II. In 1952, Gaby designed a small collection which marked Chloé’s beginnings. She offered women at the time an alternative to the rigid formality of haute couture. Her modern, elegant creations, inspired by outfits worn in sporting clubs in Egypt, are made from high-quality fabrics with particular attention to details thanks to the savoir-faire of designers from the haute couture world.
At the heart of Gaby’s vision was the idea of offering a unique wardrobe to her friends: intellectuals and artists, who could not afford haute couture and aspired to looks which could be adapted to different moments of the day.
Through the Chloé brand, Gaby injected youthfulness and freedom into Parisian couture and at the same time contributed to the invention of luxury prêt-à-porter collections.
Over the decades, Gaby Aghion surrounded herself with numerous young talents who participated in the Maison’s success. Among them was Karl Lagerfeld, who would manage the Chloé artistic department for twenty-five years, from 1963 to 1983, then from 1992 to 1997.
Later, his shoes were filled by designers Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo, Hannah MacGibbon, Clare Waight Keller, and Natacha Ramsay-Levi. They all played a role in the definition of unique and timeless femininity.
Today, Chloé is part of the Richemont luxury group.
The Maison became a Comité Colbert member in 2007.
Its signatures
Chloé’s iconic floaty designs express the lightness and freedom of movement that are so important to the Maison.
In the 2000s, the Maison launched its leather goods collection. The success of Paddington, in 2004, made it one of the first it bags. Marcie, Drew, Faye and Daria repeated this original success.
The address
In 2017, the exhibition “Femininities-Guy Bourdin” celebrated the inauguration of a new Parisian address: Maison Chloé, located in a former hôtel particulier at 28 rue de La Baume, in the 8th arrondissement. Open to the public, this exhibition was the expression of the curiosity and open-mindedness injected by Gaby.
