Welcome to this week's episode of Creative Director Musical Chairs, an unplanned weekly news instalment detailing the movements of creative directors in the ever-changing world of fashion. We're happy to have you here. Take a seat.
This week's mover is Gabriela Hearst, who after almost three years at the helm of Chloé is officially stepping down from her role, with her final show slated for Paris this fall.
Hearst, who joined Chloé back in 2020, is said to be stepping away from her role as creative director to focus on her own eponymous label, which continues to gather momentum in the realm of sustainable fashion.
Despite Hearst's relatively short stint at the Chloé helm, it's been impressive.
Back in 2021, the French label became the first luxury fashion house in Europe to attain Benefit Corporation (B Corp) certification (a third-party standard that legally mandates companies to act in the interest of people and the environment).
That, alongside highly-acclaimed collections and a reported 60 percent increase in revenues during Hearst’s first two years in the job, certainly quantifies success in my eyes.
Alas, all good things must come to an end, with Hearst now set to focus on her own New York-based outfit.
Hours before Hearst’s departure announcement, Chloé revealed a collaboration with Angelina Jolie and her own recently-launched fashion brand, Atelier Jolie.
“Very few luxury brands are a certified B Corp,” said Jolie in the IG announcement. “It was important to me to work with Chloé, one of the first luxury brands to be a B Corp.”
“It has been a privilege to design with Gabriela Hearst, and I hope all women will feel comfortable and beautiful in this capsule collection,” added Jolie. “My earnings from this collaboration will be invested in establishing apprenticeships for tailors and artisans at Atelier Jolie.”
So fresh is the announcement of Heart’s impending departure, there’s currently no news as to her replacement at Chloé. But, for a designer to have made such an impact at a label in such a short space of time, what we do know is that whoever does come in will have big shoes to fill. Or pixie flats, in Chloé's case.
