Gabriela Hearst Makes Her Chloé Début At PFW AW 2021

For her first show as the creative director at Chloé, designer Gabriela Hearst went ultra-feminine for the ready-to-wear collection, with her commitment to sustainability.

Changing without modifying the spirit of the house, creating without impacting the planet, valuing women without disguising them, all this seems to be what guided Gabriela Hearst, the new artistic director of Chloé appointed last December after the departure of Natacha Ramsay-Levi. Her first collection clearly delivers her desire for sustainable luxury, "for honest luxury" in her own words.

The video of the fashion show, filmed at night in the empty and under curfew Saint-Germain district in Paris, recalls the presentations of Gaby Aghion, the founder of the house, which he organized at the Café de Flore or at the Brasserie Lipp, two iconic Parisian spots. We saw cosmopolitan Parisian models dazzling with femininity in leather dresses, in blouses slipped into long pleated skirts with high boots, or in quilted trench coats. All the codes of Chloé were there: exacerbated femininity, relaxed elegance, delicate sophistication. But Gabriela Hearst reinvented them in her own way, with a seventies spirit, fresh and flowery. Like this long mesh dress with shimmering stripes that evoke her country of origin, Uruguay, or these “Puffchos”, striped ponchos with fringes that she twists by including a down jacket for an urban feel.

Towards sustainable fashion

Aware that fashion is one of the most polluting industries, Gabriela Hearst has been working for years - first with her own eponymous label and now with Chloé - on a paradigm shift. The designer, who inherited her father's ranch in Uruguay, where she has been raising sheep since 2011 and producing her own merino wool, accentuates the eco-responsible shift already made by Chloé. This collection is four times more durable than those made so far by the French house.She eliminated viscose and polyester, worked with recycled, reused and organic denim, 80% of cashmere yarns for knitting are recycled, 50% of silk comes from organic farming ... Wherever possible, her commitment to sustainable fashion has been applied. Gabriela Hearst has also worked on certain pieces exclusively with two ethical and fair trade association manufacturers, Manos del Uruguguay and Sheltersuit. "But this is only one step," promises the designer. Maison Chloé is committed to continuing these environmental and social actions.

Fashion editor Julie Gillet comments
 

“I definitely want this quilted patchwork jacket made from recycled fabric scraps, worn over a long mesh dress, a big winter trend! I also love the collaboration with Moonboots which incorporates Chloé materials and recycled cashmere for a casual and fashion look!”