Chloé

Chloé is a French luxury fashion house founded in Paris in 1952 by Egyptian-born designer Gaby Aghion. The company emerged during a period when French fashion was strongly associated with haute couture, and Aghion pursued a different proposition: sophisticated, well-made ready-to-wear that offered the polish of couture without requiring couture-level exclusivity or custom production. This approach helped establish the modern luxury prêt-à-porter model. In 1953, Aghion joined forces with Jacques Lenoir, who managed the commercial and administrative side of the business while Aghion concentrated on creative development. The house presented its first collection in 1956 at Café de Flore in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a setting associated with Parisian artists and intellectuals. Chloé subsequently became known for giving promising young designers room to develop distinctive ideas. Karl Lagerfeld was its principal creative force during much of the 1970s and returned in the early 1990s. His work helped make Chloé a highly visible Paris fashion label, associated with fluid silhouettes, decorative femininity and a youthful alternative to more formal couture houses. The brand’s clientele and public profile expanded internationally, with figures such as Jackie Kennedy, Brigitte Bardot, Maria Callas and Grace Kelly associated with its designs. Chloé opened its first boutique in Paris in 1971. In 1985, the business was acquired by Alfred Dunhill Ltd., later becoming part of the wider Richemont luxury group. Creative leadership remained central to the brand’s identity. Stella McCartney led the house from 1997 to 2001, followed by Phoebe Philo from 2001 to 2006. Philo’s period is especially associated with a renewed emphasis on bags and accessories, including the Paddington handbag, which became one of the early examples of the modern luxury “It” bag. Chloé expanded its offer beyond apparel into shoes, small leather goods, jewelry, eyewear and fragrance. The company launched the diffusion label See by Chloé in 2001. It offered a more accessible interpretation of the main house and at its height accounted for a notable share of the business. Chloé announced in 2022 that it would phase out the label over the following three years. The main house has continued to operate through boutiques, wholesale and digital channels, with regional offices and stores across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. Chloé’s brand language is generally associated with romantic ease, soft tailoring, movement, craftsmanship and a bohemian Parisian sensibility. Its products include seasonal ready-to-wear collections, handbags, shoes, small leather goods, jewelry, eyewear and licensed fragrances. The company has also pursued cultural and creative partnerships, including sponsorship of the Prix Chloé at the Festival de Mode de Hyères since 2012. In 2017, it opened Maison Chloé in Paris as a multifunctional space for showrooms, VIP appointments and archives. As of the supplied reference material, Chemena Kamali is the creative director, having taken over in 2023, and Laurent Malecaze is chief executive officer from 2024. Chloé remains an operating luxury brand within Richemont, with its identity shaped by successive generations of designers and by a continued focus on feminine fashion, accessories and global retail.

Chloé was founded in Paris in 1952 by Gaby Aghion, an Egyptian-born designer who wanted to challenge the stiff and formal clothing conventions of the era. Rather than operating as a traditional couture house, Aghion developed luxury ready-to-wear: clothing with designer authorship and high-quality materials that could be produced and sold more broadly than made-to-measure couture. Jacques Lenoir joined the venture in 1953 and managed its business affairs, allowing Aghion to focus on creative development. The house gradually built a reputation for relaxed, feminine clothing. Its aesthetic favored movement, softness and an uncomplicated relationship with the body. During the 1960s, Chloé recruited young design talent and in 1966 Karl Lagerfeld became its main designer. His tenure helped make the label one of the emblematic fashion names of the 1970s. Chloé attracted prominent international customers and became known for a distinctive combination of romanticism, youthfulness and Parisian sophistication. In 1971, Chloé opened its first boutique at 3 rue Gribeauval in Paris. The boutique strengthened the relationship between the fashion house and its customers and supported the development of a broader retail business. In 1985, the company was acquired by Alfred Dunhill Ltd., bringing Chloé into the corporate structure that would later become associated with Richemont. Later creative directors repeatedly renewed the house while working within its established vocabulary. Stella McCartney introduced a modern, youthful energy in the late 1990s, followed by Phoebe Philo, whose tenure reinforced Chloé’s importance in contemporary luxury fashion. Hannah MacGibbon and Clare Waight Keller continued to explore fluid dresses, relaxed tailoring, accessories and the brand’s free-spirited femininity. Natacha Ramsay-Levi added sharper, sometimes more utilitarian and “motorcycle” elements to the romantic codes, while Gabriela Hearst placed greater emphasis on craft and sustainability. Chloé’s commercial scope expanded across ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, accessories, eyewear, jewelry, children’s clothing and fragrance. Fragrance campaigns such as Love Story helped the house reach a wider beauty audience, while handbags became important expressions of its design identity. The brand has used runway presentations, fashion photography, film, social media and influencer activity to communicate with customers in Europe, North America, China and other international markets. In October 2021, Chloé received B Corp certification. The house described the certification as evidence of changes to operations, governance and policies intended to improve social and environmental responsibility. This development formed part of a broader repositioning of the business around purpose and impact rather than product image alone. In 2023, Chemena Kamali was named creative director. Her work has emphasized the maison’s archival sense of ease, sunny nonchalance and instinctive femininity. Chloé remains a Richemont-owned luxury fashion house with a global retail and wholesale presence.

1. 2023Chemena Kamali becomes creative director

   Kamali takes the creative lead and develops a renewed interpretation of Chloé’s relaxed femininity.

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2. 2021B Corp certification

   Chloé receives B Corp certification as part of a stated effort to improve governance and social and environmental performance.

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3. 1985Acquired by Alfred Dunhill

   The company is acquired by Alfred Dunhill Ltd., later part of the Richemont group.

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4. 1971First Paris boutique opens

   Chloé opens its first boutique at 3 rue Gribeauval in Paris.

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5. 1966Karl Lagerfeld becomes principal designer

   Lagerfeld’s appointment helps establish Chloé as a major fashion name during the late 1960s and 1970s.

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6. 1953Jacques Lenoir joins the business

   Lenoir takes responsibility for the commercial side of the company while Aghion concentrates on creative development.

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7. 1952Chloé is founded

   Gaby Aghion establishes Chloé in Paris with a focus on luxury ready-to-wear.

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Luxury Parisian fashion centered on effortless, feminine and often bohemian elegance, with an emphasis on craftsmanship, fluidity and natural femininity.

• Women's ready-to-wearApparel1952

  The core fashion business includes dresses, skirts, blouses, tops, shirts, trousers, jackets, knitwear and seasonal tailoring. Collections typically combine fluid construction, soft fabrics, romantic details and relaxed proportions with contemporary runway styling.

• Handbags and leather goodsLeather goods

  Chloé’s leather-goods business includes handbags, shoulder bags, small leather goods and other accessories. These products translate the maison’s feminine and bohemian design language into highly recognizable everyday luxury items.

• FragrancesBeauty

  The fragrance portfolio extends Chloé’s romantic identity into beauty. Chloé Eau de Parfum and Love Story are among the best-known names associated with the brand’s fragrance activity and have been supported by international advertising and digital campaigns.

• Shoes and bootsFootwear

  The footwear range includes sandals, pumps, boots and other seasonal styles. Designs often balance delicate, feminine references with practical construction and occasional utilitarian or equestrian-inspired details.

• Accessories and jewelryAccessories

  Chloé offers jewelry, eyewear, scarves, belts and small accessories that complement its ready-to-wear and leather-goods collections. These categories help extend the house’s visual identity across multiple price and usage occasions.

• Children's wearApparel

  The maison has also offered children’s clothing, applying its recognizable soft, romantic and Parisian styling to a younger customer segment.

• 2025Chloé Summer 2025

  International

  Photographed by David Sims, the campaign expressed Chemena Kamali’s interpretation of Chloé through summer longing, optimism, relaxed sensuality and a sunny, nonchalant mood.

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• 2020#CHLOEgirls Spring 2020

  International

  Natacha Ramsay-Levi, Ezra Petronio and David Sims created a campaign manifesto consisting of short films and still images centered on the brand’s #CHLOEgirls archetype and themes of personal growth and feminine identity.

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• 2018Chloé Spring 2018

  International

  Steven Meisel directed the campaign for Natacha Ramsay-Levi’s first Chloé collection, combining golden daylight, fluid dresses, sharper styling and an informal street narrative.

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• 2017Chloé Spring/Summer 2017

  International

  Photographed by Charlotte Wales, the campaign portrayed friendship and carefree summer movement beside water and urban architecture, using light fabrics, bright prints and a natural, sunlit atmosphere.

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• 2017Chloé Signature

  France

  TBWA Paris created a film campaign for Chloé’s fragrance and beauty communication, directed by Stéphanie Di Giusto and released in France.

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• 2017Love Story Valentine's Day

  Poland

  For Love Story fragrance, an activation in Warsaw invited couples to create short GIF-based love stories at public stations, which were displayed on a large nearby screen.

  Outcome. The campaign was reported to generate broad social-media reach and a year-on-year sales increase, although the cited case study does not provide independently verified financial documentation.

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• 2021B Corp certification and purpose-led operating modelStrategy

  Chloé sought to formalize its social and environmental commitments as sustainability and governance became more important to luxury consumers and stakeholders.

  What changed. The maison obtained B Corp certification and stated that it had upgraded operations, governance and policies.

  Aftermath. The certification strengthened Chloé’s public positioning around responsible luxury and made it an early example of B Corp adoption in the luxury sector.

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• 1985Acquisition by Alfred DunhillM&A

  Chloé had developed into an established French fashion house but remained an independent business before the transaction.

  What changed. Alfred Dunhill Ltd. acquired the company; the business later became part of Richemont’s luxury portfolio.

  Aftermath. The acquisition placed Chloé within a larger international luxury-goods group while the fashion house retained its own brand identity.

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• 2025Chloé presents its Summer 2025 campaign

  The campaign, photographed by David Sims, presented Chemena Kamali’s interpretation of the house’s sunny nonchalance and optimistic summer femininity.

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• 2024Chloé fragrance appoints Guan Xiaotong as Chinese brand ambassador

  Chloé fragrance named Guan Xiaotong as its first Chinese brand ambassador.

  CampaignLeadership change
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• 2023Chemena Kamali appointed creative director

  Chloé appointed Chemena Kamali as creative director, succeeding Gabriela Hearst and returning a designer associated with the house to its top creative role.

  Leadership change
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• 2023Chloé appoints Chemena Kamali as creative director

  Chemena Kamali became Chloé’s creative director, succeeding Gabriela Hearst and returning to the house after earlier experience there.

  Leadership change
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• 2023Chloé collaborates with Atelier Jolie

  Chloé collaborated with Atelier Jolie, the fashion initiative launched by Angelina Jolie.

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• 2022Chloé announces phase-out of See by Chloé

  The house announced plans to discontinue its See by Chloé diffusion business over a subsequent three-year period.

  Other
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• 2021Chloé receives B Corp certification

  Chloé became the first European luxury fashion brand to receive B Corp certification, linking its operating model and governance commitments to social and environmental standards.

  Other
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• 2020Chloé launches Spring 2020 campaign manifesto

  Natacha Ramsay-Levi collaborated with Ezra Petronio and David Sims on short films and still photography built around the #CHLOEgirls archetype.

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1. Chloé
2. Chloé | Richemont
3. Chloé Spring 2020 Ad Campaign
4. Chloé Spring 2018 Ad Campaign
5. Chloé becomes a B Corp
6. Chloé Summer 2025 campaign
7. Chloé Spring/Summer 2017
8. Chloé Signature
9. Love Story Valentine's Day
10. #CHLOEgirls Spring 2020