Search

Gaby Aghion

theblondchampagne
Sep 27, 2014
2 min read

The Fashion world felt a trenmendous loss this morning with the news of the death of Gaby Aghion, whom along with business partner Lenoir founded Chloe.

Aghion was a pioneer as the founder of a luxury ready to wear house. In 1953, when Chloe was founded, haute couture was the predominant focus of the parisian fashion houses. Chloe was built with the vision of "using fine fabrics to create feminine, alluring clothes, that required minimal tailoring." Chloe, like Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent is seen as one of the key french brands in the post war era.

Aghion was born in Egypt, a daughter of a cigarette plant manager. She left for Paris to study as a late teen and fell in love with the city. This is also where the seeds of Chloe began. Aghion was married to her husband for 69 years, until his death in 2009. Having known each other since the age of 7, marrying at 19, their story is a romantic as the brand she created.

Ralph Toleadano has said Aghion was, "far ahead of her time" as a pioneering female entrepreneur that cloaked her determination and strength with a flirty femininty. Unlike the other designers of her time she did not name her fashion house after herself but after her friend. Aghion created a brand form the beginning and was always focused on it and it's success as an entity outside of herself. She hired new talent, placing Karl Lagerfeld as head designer in 1966 and in later years Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo.

She sold her shares in 1985 to what is now Compagnie Financiere Richemont Group. Since, she had remained devoted to Chloe almost never missing a show and offering both valid praise and crtique. Up until her death she was still focused on the brand hoping that her passing would not overshadow the upcoming Sunday show, which will be dedicated in her honour.