It's cool to be a Chloé woman: Creative director Natacha Ramsay-Levi is making her own rules
The fashion veteran’s vision shines through, adding depth and edge to the house of Chloé with slashed knits and deconstructed skirts
The first job Natacha Ramsay-Levi had in fashion was as an intern at Balenciaga circa 2002. The then errand-running apprentice has since found a firm footing in fashion’s hall of fame along with her very own fashion family.
Ramsay-Levi took the creative helm at Chloé in March last year and has steered the brand away from the direction paved by her predecessor, Clare Waight Keller.
She has injected a cool vibe into the brand’s signature romantic, girlie and “flou” aesthetics.
“I want to keep that very soft, airy and girlie spirit and add notes that are more womanly and a bit more urbanesque,” says Ramsay-Levi on the phone from her Parisian atelier.
On the front row of her autumn/winter 2018 show were the brand’s loyal fans, including Lou Doillon, Alexa Chung and Ma Sichun – all independent souls who offer much more than their pretty faces. “Chloé girls have an impact,” says the brand’s CEO, Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye. “They are … more than just beautiful – they are meaningful.”
Ramsay-Levi agrees that Chloé girls embody more than fashion. “I see it [as] being part of the cultural life,” she adds. “It’s not only about the clothes but about celebrating women. It’s important to give depth to the Chloé girl.”
The new Chloé girl filtered through Ramsay-Levi’s lens reflects her aesthetics of masculine femininity. Silk shirt dresses are rendered in ’70s stained glass prints lifted from the archives, and knits are slashed and skirts deconstructed to reveal a fluid sensuality.
