Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/384868
86 BAL HARBOUR Something is happening at Chloé. The French fashion house has long been associated with feminine style—and continues to be. But in the last three years since Clare Waight Keller has taken over as creative director, the iconic Chloé girl has been transformed into a modern, fresh woman. "Yes, I would say she is now a woman," confirms Waight Keller, "but she still has the spirit and the energy of a girl. And I think 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." It is perhaps Waight Keller herself who has added that appealing dash of quirkiness into Chloé's winning equation. Her collections show a natural and seamless blend of French sophistication with her own British roots. "I don't think I could not have that element in there," admits the designer. "It's now this mix of a sort of casual sporty Englishness and French chic; it is something that I really love exploring." Since her appointment in 2011, Waight Keller has used the wealth of experience she garnered during her years as creative director at Pringle of Scotland and her time alongside Francisco Costa and Christopher Bailey as a senior designer at Gucci during the Tom Ford era. Already, the blanket coats from Chloé's Fall 2014 runway show are must-haves for the season, closely followed by the intriguing dresses she designed to be held together by gold medallion adornments. Waight Keller even gave a classic wardrobe staple, the blouson shirt, a modern twist by inserting broad lace circle patterns into the silk fabric. The entire collection has an undercurrent of something a bit more daring than anything she's done in the past. It's a sensation the designer confirms was intentional, as she was inspired by images of Anjelica Huston traipsing through the hills of Ireland in the early 1970s. "All of the scenery and landscapes around her were very wild and rugged," Waight Keller explains. "And she was often photographed in these shaggy textured coats and big boots. I just felt that there was something about that atmosphere, Three years at the reigns of Chloé, Clare Waight Keller carries the house into a new direction that's more woman than girl—and still undeniably feminine. BY JESSICA MICHAULT PORTRAIT BY PATRICK DEMARCHELIER Meet Ms. Chloé