After three years, Gabriela Hearst, Chloé’s Creative Director, is about to bid farewell to the renowned French fashion brand, according to a recent report from WWD.
Hearst’s final collection as Chloé’s creative director will launch in spring/summer 2024 during Paris Fashion Week, following the release of the brand’s collaboration with Angelina Jolie’s new fashion house Atelier Jolie.
The Uruguayan designer will be a hard talent for Chloé to replace. Last February, Chloé reported that its revenues increased 60% in the two years since Hearst took over as the creative director.
But, the designer’s impact extends beyond just financial success for the brand. Since taking up the creative director position, Hearst has worked to transform the fashion house into a sustainable and purpose-focused luxury house, earning Chloé the first B Corp status amongst European luxury houses in October 2021. The certification is given to corporations that meet the criteria of transparency and “high standards of social and environmental performance.” Vestiaire Collective, an online second-hand retail platform, and Patagonia, an outdoor retailer, are other fashion companies that hold the certification.
Most of the change has been in the materials the company uses. “Right now, Chloé is using 60 percent low-impact materials. We accomplished that in two years,'” she said in an interview with WWD. Chloé no longer sells cotton T-shirts, a mass-produced commercial hit for many luxury brands that requires around 2,500 litres of water per piece. The brand now also uses recycled cashmere and circular denim made of recycled cotton, hemp, and linen.
Nama sneakers in blue (source: Net-A-Porter)
Hearst has also introduced new sustainable pieces which have become best-sellers, like the low-impact Nama sneakers, which, according to third-party analysis, produced 35 percent fewer greenhouse gasses and used 80 percent less water than the previous sneaker model, Sonnie. Today, they are Chloé’s number one shoe. Sources close to the brand had told WWD that Hearst’s departure was ‘amicable.’ The designer will leave to focus on her signature brand, located in New York, and other projects. Chloé has not yet named Hearst’s successor.