Letter to the Chloé women. Chemena Kamali's Ode to the Modern Woman

Born in Germany in 1981, Kamali holds a Master of Arts in Fashion from Central Saint Martins in London. With over two decades in the fashion industry, her journey began at Chloé under Phoebe Philo and later returned as Director of Style alongside Clare Waight Keller. Most recently, she served as the Head of Women's Ready-to-Wear Style for Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent. In October 2023, Kamali assumed the role of Chloé's Creative Director.

"As I begin my Chloé journey I have intuitively embraced the spirit and codes of the house’s history; I want to capture the soul of the Chloé woman that I feel and love. For me, this meant a return to our roots, focusing on truly defining moments for the House such as Karl Lagerfeld’s 1970s Chloé collections.

Since it was founded, Chloé has had a female point of view, one that is immediate, essential, real, and spirited. It does not transform you, but lets you be yourself and embrace life. My aim is to speak to women and answer their desire for clothes that are sincere and personal, silhouettes that play with fluidity and structure, full of movement and with a sense of “un-doneness”.

I designed this collection before the one I showed in March. It is a prologue, the introduction and foundation. A re-rooting. A new beginning. The idea of a wardrobe, built on both timeless and seasonal statements and the Parisian spirit Chloé is charged with.

Core elements are the authentic outerwear based on function, the capes, so linked to the roots, the flou that is deeply part of the Chloé DNA, just like the signature blouses, the sartorial tailoring, the iconic denim, and the knitwear. The accessories are new icons of the house: 70s boots, clogs, and wedges, and then bags with an emotional quality, for which we went back to naturally tanned leather with a lived-in patina that keeps its little imperfections and that gets better over time. Jewelry nods to the ironic house iconography of the pineapple, the horse and the banana.

This re-rooting is about the clothes of course, but also about a distinctive library of fabrics, from silk mousseline, georgette, and silk jacquards to cotton gabardine, from lace and guipure to buttery leather. The palette of colors explores the infinite shades of tan and beige, from Gaby Aghion’s beloved rosé to cognac, nuances of white, and black.

There is something relatable and refreshing about the Chloé woman that for me feels relevant, now, and forever. Her beat, her natural beauty, her radiance, and instinctive energy; her being in constant evolution most of all: dressing is self-discovery through the life changes we experience. As women we evolve, and Chloé evolves with us: re-starting is not about redoing the past but bringing that spirit into the now.

I hope to anticipate how women want to feel today. I want to make Chloé women feel like themselves and touch them with Chloé’s spirit and vitality. It’s about capturing all our opposites and contradictions in a wardrobe full of joy, intuition, and freedom." 

Chemena

Courtesy: Chloé