Chloé Confirms Gabriela Hearst Is Stepping Down
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Chloé confirmed that its creative director Gabriela Hearst would step down later this year, lauding her for playing “an instrumental and key role in driving Chloé’s ongoing transformation into a mission-driven company.”
WWD broke the news on June 5 that the French house and the American designer would wind up their three-year collaboration.
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On Thursday, the Richemont-owned, Paris-based fashion house issued a one-page statement with an upbeat tone, noting that Hearst’s final collection for Chloé would be unveiled on Sept. 28 during Paris Fashion Week for the spring 2024 season.
There was no mention of the creative succession plan. It is understood that a search is underway, but not yet concluded.
“I would like to congratulate Gabriela and her team for the vision and devotion they have brought to Chloé, for laying strong foundations for future growth and for being an inspirational maison for sustainability in fashion,” commented Philippe Fortunato, chief executive officer of Richemont Fashion & Accessories, adding, “I am extremely proud of what Richemont, Gabriela Hearst and the Chloé team have accomplished together in the last three years.”
Chloé president and CEO Riccardo Bellini said Hearst “brought great energy and a dynamic creative vision to her role at Chloé, contributing to a period of significant progress for the business, and writing a powerful new chapter in the story of our maison.
“I would like to warmly thank her for bringing so much of herself to this mission — her passion, drive and values, and for her unwavering commitment to supporting the maison’s meaningful progression in shaping a more responsible future, true to the legacy of our founder,” he continued.
Bellini characterized her forthcoming swan song as “the culmination of her Chloé journey, which will be a celebration of joy and creativity. I wish her much success and happiness as she focuses on her next creative endeavor.”
It is understood the separation is amicable, with Hearst wishing to focus on her fast-growing signature brand and other projects.
In a last hurrah for the Chloé brand, the designer lined up a collaboration between it and actress Angelina Jolie, who recently announced her intention to launch a newfangled fashion house, as reported.
“It has been the greatest privilege to share my creative vision and to add my voice to the story of Chloé, a remarkable maison that I have always loved so dearly,” Hearst said in the statement. “I am grateful to have been part of the incredible team laying strong foundations for a purpose-driven future for fashion, and I am so proud of the positive change we have collectively achieved in developing a business and design perspective that puts our people and our environment first.”
She thanked Bellini, Fortunato, Richemont CEO Jérôme Lambert and Richemont chairman Johann Rupert “for allowing me to enjoy this extraordinary period of learning and growth.”
She went on to note that very few fashion houses “have such a history of strong female leaders who have each made their unique contribution to the maison, under the inspirational legacy of its founder Gaby Aghion. I represent a standard for quality that has no space for compromise and I believe in honoring the interconnectivity that we all belong to. I feel empowered and excited about the work done at Chloé and moreover, to leave a clear message that a woman can do it all and have fun while at it.”
With her formidable eco credentials and long affection for the Chloé brand, Hearst seemed like an ideal designer for the house, which shifted to a purpose-driven business model shortly after Bellini’s arrival in 2019.
The designer, who hails from Uruguay, seemed to relish the role, upping Chloé’s shoe game by designing the low-impact Nama sneaker, and introducing a host of recycled and upcycled fabrics into her ready-to-wear collections.
In October 2021, Chloé became the first European luxury maison to receive B Corp status, a major stepping stone on its long path to fully becoming a company that is purpose-driven, planet-friendly, community-based and accountable.
But it understood it was a challenge for Hearst to balance the demands of two burgeoning fashion businesses based in Paris and New York.
During a joint interview last February, Hearst and Bellini reported that revenues at Chloé gained 60 percent in the two years since the designer took up the creative helm, with recycled denim and linen Woody tote bags among items selling briskly — and all leaving a small environmental footprint.
Hearst arrived at Chloé with almost 20 years’ experience as an entrepreneur, starting with her first New York City fashion business Candela, a bohemian contemporary brand launched in 2004, and then her namesake luxury house in 2015, based on the principles of timelessness, quality and sustainability.
She took home the the American Womenswear Designer of the Year prize at the CFDA Fashion Awards in 2020.
Hearst has freestanding stores for her signature brand in New York and London, as well as a store within Harrods in London. She entered the South Korean market earlier this year with two locations and is plotting a Los Angeles opening for later this year.
Founded in 1952 by Aghion and controlled by Swiss luxury group Richemont since its formation in 1988, Chloé has been designed by a rotating cast of design talents including Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo, Paulo Melim Andersson, Hannah MacGibbon, Natacha Ramsay-Levi and Clare Waight Keller.
Launch Gallery: Chloé Resort 2024
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