Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/384868
As creative director of Chloé, Clare Waight Keller, has been instrumental in revolutionizing the luxury French fashion house. that attitude, that felt really new and modern." But the catwalk isn't the only place Waight Keller is pushing herself. She just launched the brand's new fragrance, Love Story, which happens to be the first scent she ever helped create—an eye-opening process that delighted her with its complexity. How the slightest change in ingredients could instantly transform the aroma, the primordial importance of the look and feel of the perfume bottle, and the way the scent changed on the skin were all aspects of the process that fascinated the designer. In the end, the fragrance she fell in love with is an Oriental yet floral mélange of orange blossoms with notes of jasmine and neroli. "There is a real mystery and depth to it and it changes as it develops over time," she says. She also designed the bottle to echo the look of the padlock hardware from the brand's iconic Paddington bag. It's a clever choice, as it equally brings to mind the Parisian tradition of couples symbolically "locking in" their love by snapping padlocks onto the railings of the Pont des Arts and then throwing the keys into the Seine. The designer, a mother of three, credits being "super organized" as her secret to balancing work and family life. She also is committed to traveling to far-flung locations with her brood so that she can spend quality time away from work and to soak up new inspirations. When she can't get away from the office, a trip to an art gallery is the next best thing to get her creative juices flowing. "I really make time for that," Waight Keller says. "I make sure I am always going to exhibitions and galleries to go and look at the work that is out there." It's this passion for art that has lead to Chloé's latest collaborative effort. The brand has teamed up with Studio Voltaire for its biennial House of Voltaire pop-up shop that opens in London in November. The store will be filled with limited-edition Chloé designs that Waight Keller created with artists such as Cao Fei, Karen Kilimnik and Jenny Saville. There will also be pieces for sale that blend the talents of fashion brands like Sibling and Simone Rocha with artists such as Jim Lambie and Kim Gordon, respectively. "The money we raise will support artists in residence and an art education program," says the designer proudly. Clearly, Waight Keller's nurturing and supportive nature is not just bringing Chloé back to life. It is helping the fashion house evolve into the womenswear brand it was always meant to be. ''THAT IS WHAT THE CHLOÉ WOMAN IS ALL ABOUT. SHE HAS THAT SPARK OF VITALITY, A SPONTANEITY ABOUT HER AND SHE IS ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT QUIRKY." 88 BAL HARBOUR