Chloé has confirmed appointment of Natacha Ramsay-Levy as creative director to replace British designer Clare Waight Keller who showed her last collection for the Richemont-owned house during Paris Fashion Week.
Ramsay-Levy joins from Louis Vuitton where she was second in command to creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, for whom she had previously worked at Balenciaga, and will show her first collection for Chloé in September.
She revealed her appointment had been confirmed, as had been widely anticipated, via her Instagram account this morning and in a statement said: “I am very proud to join a house founded by a woman to dress women. I want to create fashion that enhances the personality of the woman who wears it, fashion that creates a character and an attitude, without ever imposing a ‘look’.” Chloé was founded by Gaby Aghion in 1952.
Ramsay-Levy’s aesthetic is expected to be harder edged than Waight Keller’s who was known for her softer, romantic vision for the brand.
It is believed Waight Keller, who had been at the brand since 2011, has another role lined up (though rumours of Burberry and Céline are said to be untrue) and she had signalled her departure from Chloé when she moved back to her home town of London last year. She had been commuting between Paris and London and reportedly no longer wished to do so.
At the time Waight Keller’s departure was confirmed in January, Chloé CEO Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye said: “She helped rejuvenate the legacy of Gaby Aghion, the first ever Chloé girl, by infusing a cool and easy breeze into the Chloé wardrobe, effortlessly mixing graceful and feminine ‘flou’ with a free-wheeling and boyish take on tailoring.”
