Chloe not afraid to add bite to the femininity
As the news that Riccardo Tisci had been appointed Burberry’s new creative director broke in London, the fashion press gathered in Paris to watch Chloé’s Autumn/ Winter show. It was the brand’s second catwalk collection after its turn in the industry’s game of musical chairs, when Natacha Ramsay-levi took the helm following the departure of Clare Waight Keller, the British designer.
For lovers of Waight Keller’s ethereal Chloé woman, Ramsay-levi’s debut left something to be desired. But if that collection felt a little rushed, this second season revealed a designer who understood and respected the fashion house’s design codes, but also felt comfortable enough to subvert them: a designer at dual purposes.
All that feminine softness had been given some bite, and even Chloé’s signature Seventies colour palette took on a distinctly utilitarian bent paired with sand and khaki.
Shearling jackets were cropped to give an aviator feel, while jodhpur/ parachute hybrid trousers looked military issue tucked into boots. And oh, the boots: there were lace-up boxing boots with ribbed rubber toes, and more western leather styles with engraved metal Cuban heels.
A few hours later, Ramsay-levi could be seen front row at Paco Rabanne, her outfit a road-test in the same stylish layering, from cream shearling coat and sand-beige trousers to brown military boots – though we will have to wait a few months to wear them.