23 April 2024 |
The fash pack were in a state of rejoice back in March when Chemena Kamali reintroduced the OG Chloé girl during her debut collection for the house. A glorious procession of chiffon dresses, knee-high boots and giant sunnies, it marked the triumphant return of the boho look, re-energised for the Chloé customer of today.
“As I begin my Chloé journey, I have intuitively embraced the spirit and codes of the house’s history,” writes Kamali in the notes for her first pre-fall outing for the house, released yesterday. Designed before her debut, she calls the collection “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.”
Kamali is building her design language around defining moments of the house that “capture the soul of the Chloé woman that I feel and love,” she says, noting Karl Lagerfeld’s 1970s Chloé collections as a returning inspiration. Here, she meets elegant capes with body-hugging, lived-in leathers in tan and the colour of red wine. Elsewhere, lace-trimmed camisoles and knee-length skirts with handkerchief hemlines, flared jeans and flouncy frocks in delightful neutral shades tap into the free-spirited nature of the Chloé woman.
There’s an elevated, easy going-ness to Kamali’s growing Chloé wardrobe, which extends to accessories. A camera-style leather bag, for instance, is roomy enough to stuff your whole life into, while chunky wedges – etched with the sort of scribbles you’d find hidden beneath a classroom table – are both stylish and practical enough for a night spent dancing in.
Photography courtesy of Chloé.
