So, its official: Gabriela Hearst is leaving Chloé. After three transformational years at the Maison, carrying over her sustainability ethos from her namesake brand, the Uruguayan designer will be presenting her last collection with the House on 28 September for the Spring Summer 24 season.
“I am grateful to have been part of the incredible team laying strong foundations for a purpose-driven future for fashion, and I am so proud of the positive change we have collectively achieved in developing a business and design perspective that puts our people and our environment first,” Hearst said in a statement.
“Very few houses have such a history of strong female leaders who have each made their unique contribution to the Maison, under the inspirational legacy of its founder Gaby Aghion. I feel empowered and excited about the work done at Chloé and, moreover, to leave a clear message that a woman can do it all and have fun while at it.”
Who will replace Hearst?
While there's currently no known succession plan, Chloé certainly retains a sense of 'hype' – particularly when it comes to archival pieces from Stella McCartney's short stint as creative director from 1997-2001, which seem to have found a resurgent popularly given the Y2K trends of the minute.
While sustainability will no doubt remain at the forefront of the brand, we're interested to see if their next appointment will tap into that identity further.
What is Hearst's legacy at Chloé?
Hearst initially joined the brand in 2021, and has made her mark in just three short years at the House, particularly in the arena of sustainability – a vision that carried over from her own eponymous collections. Gabriela Hearst bags are produced in small batches, her collections pieced together in large part from dead stock materials, and her 2018 New York Fashion Week runway show the first to be carbon neutral at the event.
Hearst's first collection for Chloé reportedly had 'four times more lower impact materials' than the previous year, according to a statement released by the House at the time – denim was organic, polyester and viscose textiles recycled, the bags, of course, were vintage.
In an effort to truly demonstrate the fashion House's commitment to ethical practices and transparent, accountable business, Chloé also gained B Corp status in the first year of Hearst's appointment – making them the first-ever European luxury fashion House to hold the title.
Where will Hearst go next?
Hearst recently announced that she would be collaborating with Angelina Jolie on her newly launched atelier's debut collection. She'll also be working toward her final collection with Chloé this September. After that, who knows? But we're sure she's not ready to exit the fashion game just yet...
