Mood of the moment: Gaby Aghion and the house of Chloé

Mood of the moment: Gaby Aghion and the house of Chloé casts a new light on the label’s 70-year history with nearly 150 garments as well as never-before-exhibited sketches and documents from the Chloé Archive. Highlighting Aghion’s vision of effortless, luxurious fashion, and the work of iconic designers who began their careers with the brand, including Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, and Phoebe Philo, the exhibition showcases Aghion as a leader whose work altered the course of the global fashion industry in liberating women’s bodies from the restrictive attitudes and styles of the time, as well as pioneering the emergence of luxury ready-to-wear. By capturing the mood of the moment, Aghion founded a fashion brand characterized by an easy elegance.

The exhibition will explore the ways in which each subsequent creative director after Aghion uniquely interpreted the Chloé ethos and echoed the needs of their time, from the development of ready-to-wear to embracing sustainable practices in fashion. This historical overview includes designs by Karl Lagerfeld (first hired by Aghion in 1964), Martine Sitbon, Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo, Hannah MacGibbon, Clare Waight Keller, Natacha Ramsay-Levi, and Gabriela Hearst.

In the Press
“Curated by Choghakate Kazarian, the first major museum show on the legacy of Aghion’s work tells the multifaceted story of the French fashion powerhouse in all its delicate detail.”
— W Magazine

“The timing has never been more apropos for an exhibition honoring a visionary, forward-thinking Jewish woman.”
— Elle

“Mood of the moment: Gaby Aghion and the house of Chloé at the Jewish Museum in New York…puts the spotlight on Aghion’s legacy and the slew of prominent designers—including Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo, Natacha Ramsay-Levi, and Gabriela Hearst—all of whom launched their own careers by working at the fashion house.”
— Architectural Digest

“(Gaby Aghion’s) … spirit is on full display at the Jewish Museum‘s show “Mood of the moment: Gaby Aghion and the house of Chloé,” which opened last week. It takes a look at not just the pioneering designs of its founder, and the way she upended the look of the time, but also at the way her brand has evolved in the decades since, acting as a conduit for a string of extremely talented designers to take that original idea and update it for the times.”
— Artnet News

“a joyful exploration of the fashion house founder’s work.”
— Condé Nast Traveler

“the first exhibition to honor the woman who created Chloé, a refined brand that’s still going strong today.”
— The Wall Street Journal