Chemena Kamali: The German showed her first Chloé show

When you enter the Chloé building on Paris’ Rue de la Baume, you immediately notice a picture gallery in the entrance area – with portraits of all the creative people who have previously worked for the fashion house. Although you can also spot Karl Lagerfeld among them, it is mainly women who influenced Chloé’s style: company founder Gaby Aghion, Martine Sitbon, Stella McCartney and the much-hyped Phoebe Philo. The next design hope has now joined this illustrious group – Chemena Kamali from Düsseldorf.

A German lace for a Parisian luxury house? This hasn’t happened since Karl Lagerfeld. Although they have a few German designers in the French capital, no one has been in charge of creative direction at a famous fashion house for a long time.

For her opening show on Thursday, Kamali, 42, chose an unusual setting: a construction site. In the halls of a former telephone exchange in the 9th arrondissement, her models walked across a beige carpet that had been specially laid out for them. Many guests on the show, including model Jerry Hall and actress Sienna Miller, interpreted the setting as a new beginning. However, in terms of fashion, Kamali’s collection was influenced by the 70s. Many sheer ruffled blouses and dresses were seen paired with oversized jeans, over-the-knee boots or platform shoes. There were also many voluminous cape coats over feminine dresses. Everything was decorated in soft powder, cream, pale purple and brown tones, the typical Chloé colors. Many models wore lavish jewelry, shiny gold necklaces or belly chains with large Chloé lettering.

Informed Chloé: company founder Gaby Aghion and Karl Lagerfeld

Kamali’s show reminded many visitors of the fashion that Karl Lagerfeld shaped in the 70s, and others also reminded of company founder Gaby Aghion. The Jewish-Egyptian seamstress founded the brand in 1952 – as an alternative to the haute couture fashion that was prevalent at the time. Instead of ladylike and outrageously expensive costumes, she designed airy, feminine dresses that were practical and affordable for many women. Aghion, who named her brand after her best friend Chloé, is considered the inventor of pret-à-porter, off-the-rack commercial fashion.

Although Kamali – who looks like one of her models, tall, slim and with long dark hair – didn’t show any unusually new cuts, she did revive the company founder’s youthful, fresh, feminine style. Her predecessor Gabriela Hearst had recently missed that. Their designs were special and yet too exclusive. The big hype surrounding Chloé didn’t materialize under her.

That could now change with Kamali. In fact, hardly anyone knows the brand as well as she does. After studying fashion design at Trier University and London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, she worked at the German brand Strenesse in Nördlingen before moving to Paris. Kamali has designed for Chloé twice, once under Phoebe Philo and the other time under Claire Wight Keller. Kamali explains that she is now making a third attempt at the Parisian brand: “My heart has always beated for Chloé. That was the case when I walked through the doors of the house more than 20 years ago.”

Talent and chutzpah brought Chemena Kamali to Chloé

In fact, it was a special moment, as she shared in a recent interview with Vogue. At that time she was supposed to do an internship as part of her studies. Kamali knew where she wanted to go: to Chloé. But instead of sending an application, she simply got on the train from Düsseldorf to Paris with her portfolio. Without an appointment or contact person, “I just knew where the headquarters was and just showed up there,” says Kamali. Her chutzpah and talent were convincing and she had the internship two weeks later.

The fact that she was appointed creative director in autumn 2023 is not only a logical step, but also an important signal. Because the fashion world is still dominated by men. Kamali is the only woman to get one of nine top positions that became vacant last year.

Perhaps that is why the applause after her presentation was so frenetic. Excited and laughing broadly, the designer ran down the catwalk. When one of her little sons, who was sitting in the audience, ran up to her, she briefly lifted him up like a trophy. It didn’t seem staged, just like pure relief. The guests were excited for the German designer – or perhaps just to be able to wrap themselves in a chic Chloé blouse soon.