Simply Abu Dhabi XXII

2 6 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I O n 27 September 2014, Gaby Aghion passed away at the age 93. To many, the name is unfamiliar; but to those in the fashion world, she was an important player. Because in 1952 she foundedChloé, the luxury Paris fashion Maison. Gaby Aghion was an Egyptian-born Parisienne with a dark beauty and bohemian spirit. Her mother reportedly employed a seamstress to make dresses styled after pictures and advertisements found in French magazines and it is thought that is where her love of fashion stemmed from. Gaby and her husband Raymond, whom she hadmet when she was seven andmarried when she was 19, moved to Paris in 1945. She wanted to make her own money, so she bought lengths of cotton poplin fabric and made a small number of dresses – and so the fashion house, named after a friend, was born. The house was founded on the principles of freedom, lightness and femininity as Aghion disliked the formality of 1950s fashion. Instead she chose to design soft, feminine clothing for women out of fine fabrics. The label’s first show in 1956 received high acclaim and the clothes were considered youthful, feminine, and – best of all – wearable. Karl Lagerfeld was in charge of creative directorship at the label for a considerable length of time (from 1964 to 1983, and from 1992-1997), so much so that his name was as synonymous with the Chloé fashion house as it is nowwith the Chanel house. Today, the company has expanded to include ready-to-wear, bags and accessories, shoes, eyewear, swimwear, childrenswear and fragrance. More than sixty years after Gaby Aghion imagined it, Chloé’s vision of romantic, ultra-feminine fashion lives on under the creative direction of British designer Clare Waight Keller. Clare Waight Keller’s spring collection is all about finding a new optimism. The vibe is relaxed and easy, as though the romantic, care-free Chloé girl is on her gap year. Waight Keller thinks: “We’ve lost the innocence of the spirit of fashion, the youthful optimism that it portrays. And I think there’s something quite joyful about fashion that’s been missing.” In keeping with that sentiment, she has infused the new collection with a playful spirit, whilst retaining the House’s signature sophistication, and has introduced a new sunglasses collection Jackson. This collection follows the hybridisation of 1970s bohemian chic and 1990s sporty comfort that runs throughout Chloé’s entire spring/summer 2016 offering. The round and glamorous Jackson silhouette encompasses the refined expression of the Chloé’s feminine and sophisticated spirit, with a touch of vintage. The lightness of the material is featured in the distinctive design of the metal temples, resembling the fluidity of movement. The oversized round lenses are highlighted by soft gradient colours, paired with matching acetate temple tips. Available in four modern and refined colour combinations, the frames play with shades and volumes, combining soft lines and oversize shapes, giving a timeless elegance to whoever chooses them. The Jackson collectionwill be distributedworldwide inChloé boutiques and selected optical retailers. Chloé Eyewear 2016