Gabriela Hearst’s first collection for Chloé was unveiled today exactly 100 years since the birth of the Maison’s founder Gaby Aghion.
Paying tribute to the heritage of the brand as a new chapter begins, Hearst’s first offering is informed by sustainability and a commitment to the greater good moving forward, something that is very dear to the designer’s heart.
This collection is in fact four times more sustainable compared to the fall/winter collection last year thanks to new technologies, processes and materials implemented by Hearst and her team.
The collection began with a quote by Gaby Aghion: “There was no luxury ready-to-wear; well-made clothes with quality fabrics and fine detailing did not exist.”
This, along with a small ceramic button in marbled colours, was the starting point for a collection that embraces simple pieces in beautiful materials. That ceramic button is reimagined as pendants on jewellery and embellishments on handbags.
Hearst reimagines classic Chloé codes including scalloping on blouses, on denim patchwork and along the cuffs of knitwear as well as Broderie Anglaise transformed into knitwear and used on the edge of the leather. This season’s motif a colourful marbling effect was created from an artisanal technique using natural ingredients.
When it comes to handbags Gabriela reflects on her first luxury handbag which was in fact, a Chloé Edith bag. “It is a piece I still love and wanted to pay homage to,” she said. So the Edith bag has been re-issued this season, staying true to its original design. The new Edith family includes bags in recycled cashmere or with recycled jacquard and is offered as a mini version, a tote and a doctor’s bag.
Alongside this reedition, 50 vintage Edith bags have been repurposed with leftover materials from this collection. Each is unique.
Other new styles include the Juana bag in scalloped quilting and patchwork leather, as well as handknitted leather totes embellished with a recycled wooden C knitted into the handle. “To me, these are luxury pieces that show how quality and craft can coexist without opulence.” Says Gabriela.
Some of the key environmental actions already initiated by the brand include accelerating the implementation of that House’s sustainability plan which outlines key objectives previously set for 2025. This will now take place within a new timeline of one year.
The material choices in the collection are free from polyester and viscose and recycled, reused or organic denim was used. More than 50 per cent of silk comes from organic agriculture and more than 80 per cent of cashmere yarn for knitwear is recycled. Bags are lined in natural linen.
For jewellery and metallic pieces on bags, the impact of the galvanization process has been reduced by selecting one gold and one silver across all collections. Sustainable suppliers have been introduced from materials to packaging.
In an effort to make the Chloé show more carbon-neutral, emissions are being offset and directed towards a reforestation project of mangroves in Myanmar.
And finally, this season, 20% of ready-to-wear is manufactured by World Fair Trade Organization fair trade-guaranteed members. The collection counts two partnerships – Manos del Uruguay and Sheltersuit – as pathways to a positive social impact for the women and men crafting pieces throughout the collection.
“This is a project I was really looking forward to developing at Chloé, as it gives me the energy that comes from meaning and purpose. It grounds me in the reality that others are living today,” says Gabriela. “I have deep admiration for Bas Timmer of Sheltersuit, a fellow designer who uses all of his abilities in the service of others – the most altruistic way to use design. Bas and his team worked at the Maison for 10 days where they created a Sheltersuit Chloe Backpack in four colours variations with repurposed materials from the house. The design is beautiful, joyful and functional; it is consciously made and for a greater good, providing immediate shelter to people experiencing homelessness.”
The product is completely repurposed and upcycled. For each backpack sold, Chloé will fund the making of two Sheltersuits. Three of the suits will be displayed on the runway showcasing the leftover prints that pay homage to the history of the house and the craft of Sheltersuit.
Gabriela concludes; “this is part of the Chloé mission: weaving purpose to business endeavours in a post-pandemic world to help acknowledge and alleviate the hardship of others. A luxury brand has the duty to do so.”
