The Parisian revolutionary
Gabriella Hanoka grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, in a very cosmopolitan family. She was interested in fashion, colors and cuts from a very early age. Gabriella, also called Gaby, eventually married her childhood sweetheart Raymond Aghion and moved to Paris with him in 1945. As Gaby Aghion, she designed her first small collections, employed employees and finally founded the fashion company Chloé in 1952 together with the entrepreneur Jacques Lenoir. Incidentally, the fashion label was named after a good friend of hers. Her first collection was characterized by romantic elegance combined with fine fabrics and original details. Gaby Aghion and Chloé coined the term ""prêt-à-porter"", which first became established in Paris in the 1950s. The fashion house's playful, loose-casual clothing items were available off the rack in small boutiques immediately after the fashion shows This was quite a revolution for the classic, somewhat stiff and slightly outdated haute couture scene in Paris.
The it-pieces and their designers
With Gérard Pipart, Chloé brought an external fashion designer on board for the first time in 1958. With him began the decades-long tradition of naming Chloé's creations alphabetically. This custom was only broken in 1987, but it was reintroduced in the accessories collection introduced in 2012.
Chloé enjoyed great success with young fashionistas through Pipart and his style. When Karl Lagerfeld was hired as an exclusive designer in the mid-70s, the incomparable casualness and charm were shaped and redefined once again. It-pieces such as the classic, casual silk blouse or the legendary T-shirt dresses caused a sensation in Paris. But the proud wearers of the collections are also not unknown: Brigitte Bardot, Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly were declared fans of the everyday high fashion brand Chloé.
How Lagerfeld shaped Chloé
Lagerfeld's 20-year creative period defined the brand's incomparable look like no other. With the world-famous Chloé Cape, Lagerfeld once again proved that fashion does not have to be restrictive, but can just as easily be an elegant, classic symbol of freedom of movement. The timeless silk trousers, which have always been a trademark, shaped the unmistakable bohemian style and the ever-growing identity of the cult brand. The first perfume came onto the market in 1975, a floral ode to the feminine woman of today. For his collections for Chloé, Lagerfeld often drew inspiration from contemporary and old art from antiquity to Art Nouveau.
Chloé in constant change
Chloé once again caused a sensation in the fashion scene when the new creative director Stella McCartney was hired in 1997 at the tender age of just 25. She brought a breath of fresh air and created the brand's new sexy look with a young mix of vintage chic and strict, yet casual cuts. But from then on, Chloé no longer limited itself to fashion, but also established itself with bags, shoes and the slightly cheaper second line “See by Chloé”, which is in no way inferior in terms of fashion to its larger sister brand. The new It bags - often in huge dimensions and with the famous large locks - spread across the fashion scene in no time. The classic wedge heel shoes, which Chloé established as a revival of the 70s, quickly became a classic. The new guard of declared Chloé fans today includes Hollywood stars such as Kirsten Dunst and Natalie Portman.
And you too can take part in Chloé's unique success story with our designer second hand pieces at Buddy&Selly!
