Gabriela Hearst Said Exiting Chloé, Brand Links With Angelina Jolie
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PARIS — It’s shaping up to be an eventful fall for Chloé.
Gabriela Hearst is to exit the French fashion house after a three-year stint, during which the brand made quantum leaps as a sustainable, purpose-led company — and solid revenue gains, sources told WWD.
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It is understood Hearst will show her final collection for the spring 2024 season during Paris Fashion Week this fall. The sources described the separation as amicable, with Hearst wishing to focus on her fast-growing signature brand and other projects.
Meanwhile, in a last hurrah for the brand, Hearst has lined up a collaboration between Chloé and actress Angelina Jolie, who recently revealed her intention to launch a newfangled fashion house billed as a “creative collective,” as reported.
With her formidable eco credentials and long affection for the Chloé brand, Hearst seemed like an ideal designer for the Richemont-owned house, which shifted to a purpose-driven business model shortly after the arrival in 2019 of new Chloé chief executive officer Riccardo Bellini from Maison Margiela.
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 to balance the demands of two burgeoning fashion businesses based in Paris and New York.
The succession plan at Chloé could not immediately be learned, and principals at the brand could not immediately be reached for comment.
In a statement on Monday, Chloé said Hearst codesigned a capsule collection of women’s ready-to-wear with Jolie, who launched her new brand less than a month ago and recently called for tailors to apply to join its New York atelier.
“An exercise in modern femininity, the capsule collection celebrates authentic women-to-women connections,” Chloé said.
A filmmaker, humanitarian and activist, Jolie had initially described her latest venture as a different kind of fashion label in which consumers will play the role of the designer, inviting them to collaborate with tailors, pattern makers and artisans to create unique fashion statements.
However, her debut line will reflect her own taste. The capsule collection will focus on eveningwear looks and a timeless aesthetic inspired by perennial pieces from Jolie’s own wardrobe, with fluid silhouettes and tactile details, Chloé said.
The “Maleficent” star frequently wears Versace for red carpet appearances, but has also donned looks from Ralph & Russo, Ralph Lauren, Elie Saab and Valentino over the years. She has also appeared in campaigns for Louis Vuitton, St. John and Guerlain.
Atelier Jolie has pledged to propose fashions that are sustainably conceived, respectful of creative communities, and built on the concept of self-discovery.
The capsule collection with Chloé will incorporate a higher percentage of lower-impact materials than any previous collection from the house. Parts of the collection will showcase the work of artisans from a Fair Trade enterprise and spotlight female-led social enterprises.
“From the moment I heard about Angelina’s vision for Atelier Jolie, I believed in it. It is a way to elevate others through the beauty of garment-making and her deep respect for the environment,” Hearst said.
“It’s an honor for me that Chloé will be the first collaborator for Atelier Jolie, as both have high ideals for the betterment of our species. That is the reason why I love both Angelina and Chloé so deeply,” she added.
Jolie noted that very few luxury brands are a certified B Corp, which the French house became in October 2021, two months after it released its first environmental impact report.
“It has been a privilege to design with Gabriela Hearst, and I hope all women will feel comfortable and beautiful in this capsule collection. My earnings from this collaboration will be invested in establishing apprenticeships for tailors and artisans at Atelier Jolie,” she added.
Chloé did not provide a price range or launch date for the collection.
Jolie’s decision to join forces with Hearst, a designer known for quiet luxury staples including $3,000 upcycled cashmere ponchos and the $2,800 Nina handbag favored by Meghan Markle, might come as a surprise given her stated intent of creating a brand with a humanist twist — and an inclusive bent.
“We hope to create a community of creativity and inspiration, regardless of socio-economic background,” she said in a mission statement posted to atelierjolie.com on May 17.
“We will spotlight the people who play a part in each creation. We will bring together a diverse team, including apprenticeships for refugees and other talented, under-appreciated groups, with positions of dignity based on skill. And as we work with global artisans and creators, we hope to help share the richness of their cultural heritage and support the development of their own businesses,” she added.
However, Hearst has been a driving force behind efforts to make luxury fashion more sustainable, phasing out materials like cotton in favor of lower-impact linen, and working with female-led collectives like the nonprofit Manos del Uruguay.
During a joint interview last February, Hearst and Bellini reported that revenues at the Paris-based house have risen 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.
– With contributions from Joelle Diderich
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