Gabriela Hearst to leave Chloé

After an artistic tenure of over three years, Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst has announced her departure from the helm of Chloé. The brand, thanks to Hearst and CEO Riccardo Bellini's appointment in 2019, has recently established itself for a marked focus on sustainability, craftsmanship and social engagement in the fashion world - one of the latest projects launched by the fashion house, Vertical, promotes the traceable technologies of their items - as well as a notable increase in earnings; since the designer got the position, revenues have increased by 60%. According to reports, Hearst's retirement from the creative direction of the French fashion house was amicable, a decision that will allow her to focus more on her own brand, Gabriela Hearst, active since 2015, and other projects. However, the news coincides with an announcement by Chloé that arouses no small amount of curiosity; the collaboration with actress and activist Angelina Jolie.

Before presenting Hearst's latest Spring 2024 collection this autumn, the designer co-created a ready-to-wear capsule with Jolie. The American actress launched her own brand only a fortnight ago, called Atelier Jolie, and despite being essentially opposites, this new Chloé project will be part of the «collective» line that Jolie has just inaugurated: Atelier Jolie will leave creative freedom to consumers, offering them a way to contact artisans, tailors and designers to create original pieces; the collaboration with Hearst, on the other hand, will likely reflect Jolie's classic, minimalist style, including evening dresses and simple silhouettes created with excellent quality fabrics. «An exercise in modern femininity, the capsule collection celebrates authentic connections between women,» said Chloé, underlining the brand's ongoing environmental and social commitment to this project given by the use of materials with minimal impact on the ecosystem and the involvement of the craftsmanship of female-led businesses.

Jolie's decision to work alongside Hearst on a capsule collection, according to the actress's release, was made after she observed the brand's certification as a B Corp, which confirms the house's positive environmental and social performance score. «It was a privilege to design with Gabriela Hearst and I hope all women feel comfortable and beautiful in this capsule collection. My earnings from this collaboration will be invested in creating apprenticeships for tailors and artisans at Atelier Jolie,» said the actress, but statements associated with Hearst's retirement from Chloé and the new collaboration with Jolie do not, for now, reveal any succession plans for the artistic direction of the brand.