A part of the Left Bank intellectual crowd who shared her mother’s fondness for fashion, Chloé cofounder Gaby Aghion was inspired to empower independent working women to break from the conservative dress of the 1950s and don more free-spirited, feminine designs that were appropriate for both work and social life.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Aghion established her fashion house in Paris in 1952 with her business partner Jacques Lenoir to develop her own source of income, separate from her husband’s. She was one of the first designers to embrace the concept of luxury prêt-à-porter as a middle ground between haute couture and off-the-rack for the masses.
In 1964, Aghion hired a fledgling Karl Lagerfeld as a designer. The pair would bring Chloé into the international spotlight with their easy yet glamorous lines that drew such fans as Jacqueline Kennedy. Lagerfeld became the staff creative lead at Chloé in 1974 and stayed with the brand until 1983, during which time he became known for his romantic silk dresses that continued Aghion’s feminine vision and were a favorite of the “rich hippie” set. In 1988, then-unknown designer Martine Sitbon took the helm of Chloé for several years before Lagerfeld returned as creative director from 1992 to 1997, drawing all of the iconic 1990s supermodels to his runway.
After his second departure, Chloé tapped yet another early-career designer to lead the label: a punky 25-year-old Stella McCartney, who earned the position not because of her famous lineage (she’s the daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney), but because of her fashion education at Central Saint Martins and work experience on London’s Savile Row and at Christian Lacroix. Following McCartney’s exit to launch her own line in 2001 — not long after introducing the diffusion label See by Chloé that year — Chloé named Phoebe Philo to the post.
Under Philo’s leadership, Chloé expanded from women’s clothing to an accessories line — including handbags — and debuted the legendary Paddington bag in 2005. The padlocked satchel, notorious for weighing a hefty three pounds while empty, became one of the “It bags” of the decade (the brand’s double-handled Marcie holds its own in that regard); the entire 8,000-bag initial production run sold out via preorders.
Philo left Chloé in 2006; her successors include, among others, Clare Waight Kelle and Natacha Ramsay-Levi, who announced that she would be departing the house in late 2020. Part of Chloé’s decades-long lasting influence — which we’d like to speculate would appease Aghion greatly — is the brand’s dedication as a career-launching platform for newbie designers, particularly women.
Browse an extraordinary inventory of vintage Chloé handbags, day dresses, shoes and more on 1stDibs.
Chloé Noir, Black Cotton Silk Velvet Large Women Belt
By Chloé
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Chloé Noir, black cotton silk velvet large women belt. Categories : Women Category: Accessories Sub-category: Belts Designer: Chloé Condition: Very goo...
Cotton
$59
H 10.75 in W 8.25 in D 0.5 in
Sotheby's: Property from the Collection of Josephine & Walter Buhl Ford II, 1st
By Sotheby's
Located in valatie, NY
Sotheby's: Property From the Collection of Josephine & Walter Buhl Ford II. 1st Ed softcover auction catalog. Walter Buhl Ford II married Josephine Clay ...
Paper
Cash Register, “National”, circa 1900
Located in Kastrup, DK
Cash register in nickel-plated chased brass with white marble edge. “National”, Dayton Ohio, USA, 1880-1910. A very decorative object. It works, but 100% functionality is not guaran...
Marble, Metal
18th Century German Pewter Passover Plate
Located in New York, NY
Pewter passover tray, Germany, 18th century. The outer rim has wriggle- work engraving of the order of the Seder service, along with a pair of birds fl...
Pewter
$49
H 10.75 in W 8.25 in D 0.25 in
American Folk Art Collection of Howard & Catherine Feldman, Sotheby's 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
The American Folk Art Collection of Howard and Catherine Feldman Sotheby's, June 1988. 1st Ed softcover 171 lots all photoed in b&w and color each ...
Paper
18th Century Wooden Torah Pointer from Alsace
Located in New York, NY
Rare Alsace carved wooden Torah Pointer (YAD), 18th century. The body of the pointer is engraved in its first part with a decoration of palmettes and stripes. It then continues with...
Walnut
$199 / set
H 10.5 in W 8.25 in D 1 in
Sotheby's: Bertram Little & Nina Little Collection, Parts I & II New & Unopened
Located in valatie, NY
Sotheby's: The Bertram K. Little and Nina Fletcher Little Collection, Parts I & II October 21 and 22, 1994. Hardcovers. The sale consisted of the Little's Americana collection. Intro...
Paper
Vintage Christmas Holiday Musketeer Doll, circa 1940s-1950s
Located in San Francisco, CA
Vintage Christmas Holiday Musketeer Doll, circa 1940s-1950s Hand painted. Handmade clothing. Very nice vintage doll. Unsure if it's wood or papier...
Machiche
Norwegian Folk Costumes 'Norske Folkedragter' 1st Edition
Located in valatie, NY
Norwegian Folk Costumes (Norske Folkedragter) by Einar Lexow and Joh. F.L. Dreiers. Norsk Folkemuseum, 1913. 1st Ed hardcover. Norwegian traditional dress ...
Paper
Great Carved Black Forest Horn Lithophany, Germany ca. 1840
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Great Carved Black Forest Horn Lithophany, Germany ca. 1840 Museal rustic lithophany depicting finely carved chamoise in a mountain landscape. The f...
Wood, Antler
Art Deco Austrian Pair of Cufflinks in Mother-of-Pearl
Located in Kitzbühel, Tirol
Charming pair of mother-of-pearl cufflinks in 800 silver. The cufflinks have a left and right hand portrait of a Lady in dark brown mother-of-pearl in Art Deco design. Handmade in Au...
Silver
$700
H 8.5 in W 14 in D 5.75 in
Antique Early 19th Century English Crimping or Goffering Iron, circa 1840
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique early 19th century English crimping or goffering iron, Circa 1840. Used to make ruffles, frills, flounces, and pleats in starched linen, the crimpling iron was first introduced in Italy in the early 17th century. Very popular from the Elizabethan era...
Brass, Iron
$59
H 9.5 in W 6.75 in D 1 in
Crafting History Textiles, Metals & Ceramics at the University of Georgia, 1st
Located in valatie, NY
Crafting History: Textiles, Metals and Ceramics at the University of Georgia, February 1, 2018 by Ashley Callahan, Annelies Mondi and Mary Hallam Pearse. Georgia Museum of Art 2018. 1st Ed softcover. For more than a century, the University of Georgia has provided students with opportunities to study textiles, metals and ceramics. This book which accompanied the exhibition of the same name, on view at the museum February 1 April 29, 2018 tells the story of a small department that began in home economics under the direction of women interested in practical applications of art and design, and now exists in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences as the Lamar Dodd School of Art, named for its long-time director. It features work by more than 30 faculty members who contributed to craft education at UGA including: Earl...
Paper