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.
MARNI red & blue cotton 2021 FLORAL SWEETHEART POPLIN MIDI Dress 44 L
By Marni
Located in Zürich, CH
100% authentic Marni midi poplin dress in red, black, navy, black and orange cotton (100%). Resort 2021 collection. Marni is renowned for throwback printwork for more many reasons – with this red-and-orange floral dress...
ETRO black red polyester 2021 SANTA BARBARA FLORAL MIDI Dress 44 L
By Etro
Located in Zürich, CH
100% authentic Etro Santa Barbara dress in black crepe polyester (with 3% elastane) featuring an all-over floral print in white and red, framed by vibrant paisley borders that reflec...
CHLOE x CAROLINE DENERVAUD multicolor silk 2023 MAXI Dress 36 XS
By Chloé
Located in Zürich, CH
100% authentic Chloé by Gabriela Hearst dress in multicoloured silk (100%) featuring an abstract print by French painter Caroline Denervaud. This...
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG DVF blue silk ABIGAIL FLORAL MAXI WRAP Dress 8 M
By Diane von Furstenberg
Located in Zürich, CH
100% authentic Diane von Furstenberg Abigail floral maxi wrap dress in blue, pink and white silk (100%). Features 3/4 sleeves. Unlined. Has been worn and is in excellent condition. ...
ERDEM black blue pink silk 2020 ROSETTA FLORAL MAXI Dress 8 XS
By Erdem
Located in Zürich, CH
100% authentic Erdem 'Rosetta' satin dress in black, blue, pink and dusty rose silk (100%). Features gathered short sleeves and a flared hem. Has a floral print all over and button d...
CHLOE navy blue & burgundy FLORAL PUSSY BOW Dress 34 XXS
By Chloé
Located in Zürich, CH
100% authentic Chloé long sleeve floral dress in navy, red, burgundy and green silk georgette (100%). Features a self-tie bow, buttoned cuffs and drawstring...
1970's Martha Palm Beach Navy and Red Maxi Dress
By Martha Palm Beach
Located in Toronto, Ontario
1970's maxi dress with a navy blue long sleeve ruched bodice and a long, softly gathered red and blue floral maxi skirt. Empire waist with a red an...
1970s Donald Campbell Navy and Red Floral Silk Dress with Scarf
Located in London, GB
Royal couturier Donald Campbell had two London boutiques from the 1970s through to 2009 in fashionable Chelsea, and Knightsbridge, London. The brand used couture fabrics to create hi...
Zimmermann Red Floral Long Dress - Size L
By Zimmermann
Located in Krakow, PL
Make a statement in this stunning Zimmermann red floral long dress! This dress is a size L and fits true to brand sizing. It features a flowy silhouette with a beautiful floral print...
1930s Midnight Blue Long Sleeved Floral Georgette Maxi Dress
Located in London, GB
This true vintage 1930s ankle length gown is cut to a classic tea dress style in a midnight blue, almost black georgette with striking peach, mustard and pale blue-grey florals printed across it. Full of character with lovely period details, it is detailed with a cowl neckline and sweeping ruffle. The sleeves are sheer and join to a faux-cover up that is actually attached to the dress. This ties loosely at the front however the wearer wants it. The dress has a bias-cut column silhouette and falls gracefully to the ankle. It is lined with black crepe throughout, however the sleeves are not lined and are sheer. The only opening is the keyhole neckline at the rear so you need to be small enough to slip it on over your head. The dress is in very good antique condition, particularly for a garment of nearly 90 years of age. She is wearable with care and the following points to note: There are some rather charming patch repairs to the bottom of the hem, left sleeve and one on the body in various sizes. It was clearly a dearly loved dress and it's rather hard to spot them unless you go looking for them. They could be better sewn but I rather like them the way they are and so we left alone when we restored other parts of the dress - we photographed a few so you can see what we mean. The cuffs were very narrow so we have moved the poppers and this has left some small grazes to the fabric - minor. Wearable 1930s tea dresses...
Vintage Lanvin Paris Blue & Red Patterned Dress
By Lanvin Paris
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Capture the essence of vintage French elegance with this stunning Lanvin Paris blue and red patterned dress. A true testament to the brand’s iconic design heritage, this dress effort...
1983 YVES SAINT LAURENT red floral silk RUNWAY dress
By Yves Saint Laurent
Located in San Fransisco, CA
Yves Saint Laurent, Spring 1983 An exceptionally rare Yves Saint Laurent runway dress from the Spring 1983 collection, also featured in the season’s advance press photos. Made of vi...
When the name of a bag is as well-known as its brand, you know it's a classic.
Makeup and astrology expert Linda Mason dispenses fashion advice for every zodiac sign. Does your wardrobe match your horoscope?
