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.
Chloe gold tone pin brooch with rhinestones
By Chloé
Located in New York, NY
Chloe gold tone skull-shaped pin brooch with rhinestones Signed Measurements – 2,5 х 1 cm Condition – very good ........Additional information ........ - Photo might be slightly dif...
Cartier 18K Yellow Gold American Flag Tie Pin
By Cartier
Located in Broomall, PA
Cartier 18K Yellow Gold American Flag Tie Pin Crafted with Cartier’s precise artistry, this American flag pin presents the classic symbol with thoughtful refinement. Red enamel stri...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 14k Yellow Gold 0.40tcw Sapphire Bumblebee Brooch
Located in New York, NY
This vintage 14k yellow gold bumblebee brooch features 0.40 total carats of sapphires that add lively color and sparkle to its charming design. The detailed goldwork forms wings, bod...
Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
$10,000Sale Price|20% Off
W 2.6 in L 3.1 in
Tony Duquette 18k Yellow Gold Citrine Starburst Pendant Brooch
By Tony Duquette
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Citrine starburst pendant brooch, featuring pear, oval and square-shaped citrine set in 18k yellow gold. Hinged fold down pendant loop at top...
Citrine, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Cartier Retro 14K Yellow Gold Diamond Ruby Sapphire Vintage Shooting Star Brooch
By Cartier
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as a shooting star motif comprised of clustered gems and fanning wire tail Cluster enters a star cut sapphire weighing approximately 0.45 carat Transparent medium blue and p...
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage TRIFARI crown silver tone designer brooch
By Trifari
Located in Palos Hills, IL
DETAILS • signed TRIFARI • silver tone • vintage designer brooch MEASUREMENTS • CONDITION • very good vintage condition with minimal signs of wear Sku 48 ❤️❤️ V...
Gold
Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Citrine Bird on a Rock Diamond 18K Gold & Plat Brooch
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Oakton, VA
Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Citrine Bird on a Rock Diamond 18K Gold & Platinum Brooch Metal: Platinum and 18K Yellow Gold Center Stone: Natural Citrine (Quartz) Carat Weight: ...
Citrine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Bee Brooch in Sterling Silver, 24K Gold Plating, with Emeralds and Plique-à-jour
Located in BADALONA, ES
This sculptural bee brooch is crafted in sterling silver and plated in 24-karat gold. The body is adorned with vibrant natural emeralds, emphasizing the piece’s elegance and vivid ex...
Emerald, 24k Gold, Sterling Silver
$5,770
W 1 in L 2.5 in
Couture ElsaSchiaparelli FranceDepose FeatherCrystalGold Pagan BirdBrooch, c1938
By Elsa Schiaparelli
Located in Chicago, IL
Unusually decorated with small partridge feathers like the yellow-gold gilt necklace commissioned by Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973) that is featured on the front-and-back covers and centerfold of the French costume-jewelry hardcover book, Lina Baretti Parures, authored by Patrick Mauries, this unique pave-crystal yellow-gold gilt metal partridge-on-a-branch brooch is further distinguished as an unsigned Parisian-couture piece for Italian-born Schiaparelli with its combination of embossed text "Made In France" and "Modele Depose", along with the trombone clasp often used in the early 20th Century for custom-made French small brooches. The book centerfold on pages 90-91 shows a closeup of the feathered necklace created by French-born Corsican Baretti, whose intricate decoration often mixed ready-made textural or shiny materials like velvet, cork, metal wire, rhodoid, raffia or feathers with custom-made metal, plastic or glass by specialized Parisian workshops such as Maison Gripoix. The Baretti-book caption about the attributed necklace notes: "Collier realise pour Elsa Schiaparelli. Liege, soie, cannetille, perles de verre et plumes de perdix. Chaine en metal." While none of the captions date this necklace--which could have been from the same commission as our brooch--Baretti created one-of-a-kind jewelry for Schiaparelli from the 1930s to the early 1950s until the fashion designer retired. Our brooch was most likely made for a fashion-show debut of one of Schiaparelli's themed clothing collections in the late 1930s for which she commissioned many costume-jewelry paruriers including Baretti. See our photo of a Schiaparelli 1930s...
Crystal, Gold, Yellow Gold, Gilt Metal
$495
W 1.58 in L 2.17 in
Crown Trifari 1950s Crystals Pink Flower Green Leaf Bouquet Basket Gold Brooch
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Wokingham, England
Crown Trifari 1950s Pink Flower Green Leaf Enamel Bouquet Basket Crystals Elegant Brooch, Gold Tone Very good condition. Some light scratches, since over 70 years. 100% genuine. A ...
Gold Plate, Enamel
$1,068
W 1.26 in L 3.08 in
Givenchy Vintage Large White Pearls Lily Of The Valley Bell Flower Leaf Brooch
By Givenchy
Located in Wokingham, England
Givenchy Vintage 1980s Large Massive Lily Of The Valley White Pearls Bell Flower Leaf Chunky Statement Elegant Brooch, Gold Tone Very excellent condition. 100% Genuine. Very beautif...
Gold Plate
CHRISTIAN LACROIX Vintage Gold Tone Bull Head Brooch
By Christian Lacroix
Located in Nice, FR
CHRISTIAN LACROIX vintage gold tone resin bull head brooch. Marked CHRISTIAN LACROIX CL Made in France. Indicative measurements : max. height approx. 5.2 cm (2.05 inches) / max. wi...
Studio Rêves Crimson Whisper Diamond Brooch in Titanium and 18K Gold
By Studio Rêves
Located in Mumbai, Maharashtra
The Crimson Whisper Diamond Brooch is a striking expression of sensual form and contemporary craftsmanship. Sculpted as softly parted lips, the design captures emotion, allure, and q...
Diamond, Titanium, Gold, 18k Gold