Chloé’s Latest Show Took Over UNESCO—and Ended With the Most Elegant Dinner in Paris
An invitation to Chloé’s post-show dinner is nearly as coveted as a front-row seat. The atmosphere is always festive and intimate, suffused with that je ne sais quoi of nonchalant Parisian glamour—a reflection of Chloé’s spirit and of Chemena Kamali herself, whose easy charm puts every guest at ease.
This season, she presented the collection at Maison de l’UNESCO, inaugurated in 1958 as UNESCO’s headquarters. Its modernist design stands as a symbol of international collaboration, uniting the talents of architects Bernard Zehrfuss (France), Marcel Breuer (Hungary), and Pier Luigi Nervi (Italy), guided by a stellar committee of masters—Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Ernesto Nathan Rogers, and Eero Saarinen among others—embodying the global unity UNESCO represents.
“The decision to present the collection within one of UNESCO’s conference rooms was both deliberate and deeply symbolic,” Kamali explained. “The postmodern setting was conceived in the same era as Chloé’s earliest footsteps and echoes the brand’s spirit of progress and reinvention. It’s a space devoted to dialogue, openness, and the free exchange of ideas—a temple of creativity in all its guises.”
After the show, guests were invited upstairs to a luminous top-floor space where sweeping views of the city unfolded and the Eiffel Tower glittered like a bijou against the night sky. “Holding the celebration just above the show’s stage felt somehow poetic,” Kamali mused, “a gesture that extended the evening’s symbolism—a tribute to Chloé’s Parisian roots, its creative community, and the allure it represents.”
The room was dressed in plush dark-red velvet, adding a dash of drama and a sense of being enveloped in a luxurious cocoon. Before sitting down to dinner, guests—Rita Ora, Chloe Wise, Neneh Cherry, Liv Tyler, Claudia Schiffer, to name a few—mingled over champagne cocktails, trading impressions of the collection; some even revealed they had already placed orders.
Pat Cleveland, the legendary model whose discerning eye has witnessed it all, shared her enthusiasm for the show’s joyful spirit, its whimsy, and the gentle confidence with which Kamali reinterprets the house’s heritage. “I always like the way she treats volumes and the coats,” she said. “I can hide in them as though I were in my own little world.”
This season, Kamali delved into a different side of Chloé. “I wanted to explore what couture could mean within its context,” she explained. “It’s a fascinating paradox for a house founded on the principles of democratic freedom and ease.” That inquiry lent the collection a fresh, individual twist—one actress Molly Gordon raved about. “It’s such a vibrant and multifaceted take on femininity: you can be sexy, strong, even a little childlike. There’s something for every woman,” she enthused. Her favorite look was a cream satin romper with a plunging V-neck trimmed in ruffles and bloomer-style shorts—“obsessed,” she admitted.
Actress Autumn Best echoed the sentiment, praising the collection’s playfulness and inventive approach to shape. “I love Chemena’s fashion sense—it’s so cool,” she said. Her pick: a short, trapeze-shaped babydoll dress with a draped, off-the-shoulder décolleté in soft orange florals—glamorous, with a couture spirit. Kamali elaborated: “Two years into this role, having re-established the house’s essential codes, I felt ready to push the boundaries of what defines Chloé. I wanted to expand its language and take it into new, unexplored territory, revisiting not only how Gaby Aghion founded Chloé, but why. I was drawn to the idea of returning to what Gaby herself rejected: the formality and rigidity of couture. Yet I didn’t want to betray the spirit of the house.”
Natalia Bryant was charmed by the collection’s vibrancy and soft femininity. “I can’t wait for summer to come so I can wear it,” she said. Fashion-jewelry designer Yun Yun Sun was equally captivated; she adored one ruffled dress so much that she immediately placed an order: “Every piece is so romantic and yet very wearable.” Ever gracious, Kamali turned the spotlight back on her guests, noting she draws constant inspiration from the women around her—admired as much for their charm as for their chic. “People often say that at our dinners, the women in Chloé look as though they’re simply wearing their own clothes—natural, unforced. I love that. It should always feel as if you’re at a friend’s dinner, not a brand’s.”
Photo: Courtesy of Chloé1/19
Photo: Courtesy of Chloé2/19Anna
