Attitudes
Chloé.Attitudes is an exhibition celebrating Chloé’s 60 year contribution to fashion culture. Staged at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, and curated by Judith Clark, here we offer a glimpse at the making of the exhibition. Behind the scenes never looked so good.
Bananas
Occasionally, since the turn of the millennium, Chloé has gone bananas, with the fruit popping up across two much-loved collections. And why bananas? Why not. It’s simply a bit of whimsical fun – something very important to Chloé.
Counter-Couture
Counter-Couture celebrates the birth of luxury ‘Prêt-à-Porter’. Founding Chloé in 1952, Gaby Aghion tapped into the optimism, energy and freedom of post-war Paris, whilst rebelling against the formality of haute couture. She emerged as a ‘ready-to-wear’ pioneer.
Deco
Like Chloé itself, Art Deco was born in Paris. It has a sensibility echoed by that of Chloé: decorative beauty meets balanced proportions and simple lines rather than fussy styles – an aesthetic that still exerts its influence at the Maison today.
Embroidery
Embroidery is key at Chloé. While an haute couture craft by excellence, when Chloé appropriates it, it’s to add texture, inject humour and playfulness. Embroidery here is never what you expect – it’s never too precious and worn with a light touch.
Fluidity
“In Egypt, the sand is like silk. It is fluid. It moves” – the words of Chloé founder Gaby Aghion are eloquent. Taking this inspiration, freedom of movement has become a signature of the Chloé aesthetic and informed fabric choices across the decades.
Gaby
This is the personal story of Chloé founder, Gaby Aghion. It’s her journey from Egypt to Paris to the creation of Chloé. Discover why and how she did it, and in doing so, imbued the Maison with a spirit and set of values that are still alive today.
Horses
With freedom such a key element of the Chloé spirit, it’s only natural that the horse – wild and running free – has become somewhat of a motif for Chloé, making diverse appearances on garments right through to boutique door-handles.
Innovators
First, under the guiding hand of Gaby Aghion, a pioneer of luxury ‘Prêt-à-Porter’, and now 60 years later through Clare Waight Keller’s direction, Chloé has always innovated. Here you’ll meet the Chloé innovators – the designers who have shaped the Maison across the decades.
Joy
Fashion shows just aren’t what they used to be. Back in the 70s and 80s, Chloé runway shows were like parties. Spontaneously full of joy and life, models expressed themselves and had a lot of fun. So here’s a little insight into Chloé ‘joie de vivre’.
Kaleidoscope
Inspired by founder Gaby Aghion’s Egyptian root, one colour dominates at Chloé: ‘nude’, a palette that can span from almost sheer pink to dark chocolate. But of course, a kaleidoscope of colours complements, warming and flattering natural beauty.
Light
Light sets the mood for the Chloé world, but not just any light. It’s the warmth of natural light that uplifts the Chloé woman making her feel radiant… the same light that naturally shone for Egyptian-born Chloé founder, Gaby Aghion during her younger years.
Music
Music sets the scene in the Chloé world. The sounds you hear affect your mood, your thoughts and the way you move. Music is the soundtrack to a party, to good times, so naturally, it’s one of the key ingredients to the Chloé attitude.
Nude
“I’ve always thought women look better naked”. This insight from Chloé founder, Gaby Aghion, has a huge influence on the Maison’s design aesthetic. For Chloé, a garment’s main role is to adorn and flatter the naked body, rather than obscure its natural beauty.
The Roundness of ‘O’
Join us in a leap through the letter O… focus on the form and feminine shape of ‘roundness’ inherent to the name Chloé. It’s a recurring aesthetic theme as round pops up everywhere. Once you spot it, you can see it everywhere in Chloé.
Paris
Chloé has always been perfectly in sync with the Parisian mood. World famous as a capital of supreme elegance, it’s a rich source of inspiration for Chloé. Discover the parts of the city of light that are close to our heart: hotspots for shoots, shows, boutiques and stories.
QUOTES
Here we celebrate a rich and ground breaking 60 year heritage through the very words of Chloé founder Gaby Aghion. Memorable and insightful, these quotes reflect her character, as well as the everlasting values and essence of the Maison.
Rachmaninoff
Being the art-loving intellectual that she is, Chloé founder Gaby Aghion created a unique alphabetized naming convention for her collections and the items within each, inspired by talents such as the composer Rachmaninoff.
Skin
For Chloé, feel is as important as aesthetic. We like to delight all the senses. This is why, when it comes to accessories, we use the finest leathers. Here you’ll meet our iconic accessories and learn about the craft behind making them.
Trompe l’oeil
Trompe l’oeil, ‘to deceive the eye’, is a prominent feature of surrealist art. An optical illusion. As devoted art lovers, both Chloé founder Gaby Aghion and Karl Lagerfeld wittily played with trompe l’oeil. It’s Chloé through and through.
U (You)
At the private view of Chloé.Attitudes, every guest was asked to leave a message for Chloé to celebrate the 60th anniversary, and mark the occasion in their very own way. We turned these into a short film. So this theme is yours – it’s all about U, or you…
Visit
Is a chance to do just that – experience the Chloé.Attitudes exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo from wherever you are in the world. Curator, Judith Clark, presents a series of short educational pieces focusing on key parts and themes of the exhibition.
Woman
When defining the Chloé woman we look to Gaby Aghion: “I lived the life I wanted to. I always wanted to remain independent, so I went for it. I had incredible faith and boldness”. So like Gaby, the Chloé women are authentic, determined, free-spirited and full of youthful energy.
KISS
To those who have designed for, bought, worn, written, shared, followed and supported Chloé, we say thank you – this is for you: Parisian-based ‘Melody’s Echo Chamber’ has created a song based on the Chloé sensibility… X from all at Chloé.
Youthful
‘Young at heart’ is an overused phrase but it sums up the Chloé aesthetic perfectly. Chloé has a mindset that tries to keep the carefree spirit of youth alive, regardless of age. Yes Chloé has a rich history, but for this anniversary year, we like to say we’re 60 years young.
Zoom
Any study of the Chloé design aesthetic wouldn’t be complete without looking at the detail and craft that goes into some of the house’s more delicate, intricate and even extravagant creations. Explore and enter Chloé’s world of small details with great resonance.
Coming soon
Please come back to the site again soon to see more.
