Following her sophomore show for Chloé, Chemena Kamali was celebrated by editors and friends at a candlelit dinner in her honour, set in the decadent Proustian ambiance of Paris’s Lapérouse restaurant. Since 1766, its intimate salons have served as an elegant house of pleasure, where courtesans entertained their wealthy aristocratic patrons. Legend has it that in one of the salons, known as Le Sénateur, hidden behind a door with a secret passage, femme fatales would etch their signatures onto mirrors to test the authenticity of the diamonds they received as gifts.
“I love that it’s such a Parisian classic!” said Kamali. “It’s a very cosy and sensual place that carries a lot of history, but it’s also somewhere people still love to go to today. I love that mix of past and present. It felt important to bring my friends and family together after the show in an intimate and fun place, with a warm and personal atmosphere and great food!”
The bohemian and romantic atmosphere was well suited to the vision Kamali brings to Chloé, with her great personal style deeply influencing the collections she designs. However, there are charismatic women who have inspired her throughout her creative journey. “Gaby Aghion, the founder of Chloé, wanted to encourage women to dare, to empower them and give them freedom. There’s this strong woman-to-woman connection in the DNA of Chloé that I feel strongly about. For me, the women who feel connected to Chloé represent freedom; they live and dress instinctively and very personally. I think what they love is that Chloé doesn’t transform them into someone they’re not.”
Chloé is quickly becoming the go-to brand for girls who approach boho style with a modern edge and without nostalgia – Sienna Miller is among its most loyal supporters. Looking every inch the embodiment of Chloe’s cool, radiant in a broad-shouldered black leather cropped jacket, soft wide-leg pants, and the famous platform clogs, she was full of praise for Kamali.
“I’ve always been in love with Chloé; it represents everything I enjoy wearing since I first discovered it through Stella and Phoebe. I used to save up to buy their pieces – I still wear a pair of green boots with a chain around the ankle, it was around 2003,” she said. “The spirit of the brand has always resonated with my style, but I lost touch with it for a while. Last season, I was invited back, and it felt like seeing everything I had missed and wanted from fashion – my dream wardrobe!” she enthused, saying that she liked every single piece from the SS25 show.