Chemena Kamali opens the door to her office at the Chloé headquarters on Avenue Percier in Paris, revealing a long, curved sofa, pink peonies in a vase and a silver tray laid with tea. On the wall is an orderly grid of images: swimsuits designed by Karl Lagerfeld during his time at the house; Mick Jagger; bra-strap tan lines; a cigarette balanced between pouting lips. Kamali, 42, dressed in high-waisted, wide-legged Chloé jeans and a latte-coloured blouse, welcomes me in.
She grins, a warm, Cheshire Cat-like smile. Kamali’s appointment as Chloé’s creative director in October of 2023 – she took over from Gabriela Hearst – did not surprise those who knew her and the brand. This will be Kamali’s third time working at the house, having started in her early 20s as an intern when Phoebe Philo was at the helm.
Though the ranks of creative directors in fashion may look very male at the moment, it wasn’t a shock that Chloé – the clothing label by and for women – hired a woman for the job. And while Kamali assures me that she is not the kind of leader who enjoys being front and centre, she also recognises that the outlook and ethos of the house dovetails nicely with her own style, which juxtaposes traditional femininity with carefree cool. “A lot of what I’m doing is from a really honest place,” she says, “just expressing the most honest form of femininity.
” It is resonating. Kamali’s first runway show, in February this year, was one of the most warm.