Chloé is drawing back the curtains on its much-anticipated collaborative designs with Angelina Jolie.
The Paris-based brand is debuting exclusive ready-to-wear from its upcoming eveningwear-centric assortment with Atelier Jolie.
Beyond the line’s aesthetic appeal, the union is rooted in women-to-women connections and empowerment through opportunities, the company said. In June, Chloé revealed that it would be the first apparel collaborator with Jolie’s community hub for artisans and conscientious consumers.
The scallop-necked embroidery for a white cotton tank top in the collection was developed in partnership with La Fabrique Nomade, the Paris-based organization that provides professional inclusion for refugee and migrant artisans who are living in France. In addition, the Hollywood actress, producer and humanitarian has earmarked her earnings from this collaboration to create apprenticeships and build infrastructure for refugees and other underrepresented groups at Atelier Jolie.
The Chloé x Atelier Jolie collection will be available in Chloé boutiques and on the company’s site in January.
In addition, the collaborative ready-to-wear involved making the most of Chloé’s 15-year-plus partnership with Akanjo, a World Fair Trade Organization-certified social enterprise that is based in Madagascar. As is the case with the seven-year-old La Fabrique Nomade, Akanjo advances artisans and promotes craftsmanship through its initiatives. At least half of the line was manufactured through fair-trade, social enterprises or social sourcing, thanks to the alliances with La Fabrique Nomade and Akanjo.
Jolie co-designed the minimalist dresses, tailored clothing, outerwear and luxe layering pieces with former Chloé creative director Gabriela Hearst. The line is made of at least 80 percent lower-impact materials, including certified wool and organic silk and organic crepe de chine, as well as deadstock fabrics. For Chloé, that 80 percent figure marks a high for low-impact materials, and surpasses the company’s commitment to 60 percent lower-impact fabrics for the year’s ready-to-wear collections.
Sized to accommodate an assortment of body types, the collaborative ready-to-wear collection’s inclusive ethos can also be seen in the primarily neutral color palette that is meant to compliment a diverse range of skin tones. A long black opera cape, a white dress with a gathered neckline made from deadstock micro silk sable, tailored black pants and Chloé’s signature lavallière shirt in deadstock hammered silk-satin are among the offerings. There is also a three-piece black suit made from deadstock wool gaberdine. Nearly all of the pieces are priced from $850 to $5,000.
When the union was first announced four months ago, Jolie said, “Very few luxury brands are a certified B Corp. It was important to me to work with Chloé, one of the first luxury brands to be a B Corp.”
At that time, she described working with Hearst as “a privilege,” and said, “I hope all women will feel comfortable and beautiful in this capsule collection. My earnings from this collaboration will be invested in establishing apprenticeships for tailors and artisans at Atelier Jolie.”
This is the only collection that Chloé has planned with Atelier Jolie at this time, according to the Chloé spokesperson. Jolie, of course, is working on other creative endeavors, including serving as a producer for the Broadway musical “The Outsiders,” and taking roles in “Kung Fu Panda 4” and in the biopic “Maria” about opera great Maria Callas. All three projects are due out next year.