Following Gabriela Hearst’s heartfelt departure at Chloé showing her last collection at Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024, the French house has finally addressed the glaring question of who will be replacing Hearst at the beloved brand. Central Saint Martins alum Chemena Kamali will be succeeding Hearst—presenting her first pre-collection for the house in January, followed by the Fall/Winter 24′ collection during Paris Fashion Week in February.
Just ten days after Hearst’s departure, it seems Kamali’s homecoming to Chloé was somewhat expected. After a long tenure serving the maison for nearly twenty years under Phoebe Philo and Clare Waight Keller’s creative direction, the 41-year old was most recently helming the position of Women’s Ready to Wear Design Director for Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent before taking up the role of Creative Director at Chloé.
“My heart has always been Chloé’s. It has been since I stepped through its doors more than 20 years ago. Returning feels natural and very personal. I am extremely honoured to be taking on this role and to be building on the vision that Gaby Aghion and Karl Lagerfeld defined early in the Maison’s history. I hope to capture the emotional connection and spirit of Chloé for today. I am very grateful to Riccardo Bellini, Philippe Fortunato and Johann Rupert for this opportunity and their trust,” says Chemena Kamali, addressing her new title at Chloé.
With Seán McGirr joining Alexander McQueen and Kamali’s appointment at Chloé, it seems fashion executives at top houses are putting their bets on relatively unknown names to breath new life into our favourite brands. Will their strategy work? Only time will tell.