By Valentine Fabre
Credit: Cecile Bortoletti
Following the departure of iconic designers such as Jeremy Scott from Moschino, Tom Ford from his house, Ludovic de Saint Sernin from Ann Demeulemeester, Gabriela Hearst is the latest in the line-up to announce her exit from French house Chloé.
Rumours of Gabriela Hearst leaving the Richemont-owned brand were already circulating, following the announcement of the collaboration between actress Angélina Jolie and Chloé was announced in June. A statement released on Thursday (July 6th) finally announced, what the public already speculated, the official departure of the Uruguayan designer after a three year tenure at the brand.
This announcement may come as a surprise to some, as the designer seemed to be the perfect match for the French house. The only luxury house to become a B-Corp label, Chloé is dedicated to producing increasingly sustainable garments and promoting environment-friendly consumption. Gabriela Hearst is also known to be facilitating transparency within her namesake house, as well as improving it at Chloé. It was also said that sales within the brand had increased by 60% in the past two years and everything seemed to be working.
The announcement revealed that though Hearst was a valuable asset for Chloé, she was also simultaneously working on her namesake brand, based in New-York since its opening in 2015. Unfortunately, the distance between the houses, one in the USA the other in France made it difficult for the fashion designer to focus properly on both. This departure comes with the decision to concentrate on her eponymous house.
Her last collection will be on September 28th during Paris Fashion Week. It is rumoured that Chemena Kamali might be a potential successor for the brand. Currently creative consultant for Frame Denim, Kamali has already worked for Chloé under Clare Waight Kellers direction.
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