The ABCs of Chloé bags

Passionate about literature, Chloé founder Gaby Aghion chose to name her collections following the letters of the alphabet.  In the Philippines, letters ‘A’ and ‘B’ are only available at Adora.

Chloé has always been high on cool quotient. Founded by a woman, Gaby Aghion, in 1952 for women everywhere, the fashion house was the first to introduce luxury ready-to-wear back when haute couture was the only option.

Sixty years later, Chloé stands for, not just cool female designers like Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo (though Karl Lagerfeld was an important early fixture — as a designer in the ’60s and artistic director in the ’90s), but also cool “it” bags like the Paddington.

In 2012, to celebrate 60 years of creation, founder Aghion, who is passionate about literature, chose to name her collections by following the letters of the alphabet. Clare Waight Keller, creative director of the maison since June 2011, has revived this concept of naming — which is unique to Chloé — for the new bag lines, and rewritten the vocabulary of covetable arm candy. (In the Philippines, the bags named after letters ‘A’ and ‘B’ are only available at Adora.)
Under Keller’s direction, the accessories have evolved hand-in-hand with the ready-to-wear since the winter 2012 runway show.

The essence of Chloé has remained relaxed, feminine, and free-spirited.

The ABCs of Chloé bags begins with the urban and graphic Alice, while the letter “B” stands for the Baylee, a supple, versatile bag ideal for day and a key piece in the new Chloé wardrobe.

For the “C,” soon to follow in the spring 2014 collection, Keller wanted to lend her name to a modern and chic shoulder bag, the Clare.

So for each season, expect a new letter in Gaby Aghion’s alphabet, which will denote a feminine new name, and for sure, a unique bag.

‘A’ is for Alice

How do you define “sporty chic”? A good start would be Chloé’s Alice handbag, a modern, urban carryall with subtle yet playful details.

Inspired by the ’70s, this new bag is bicolor and bi-material, with a color palette of light, creamy colors or rich, deep colors contrasted with black trimming in vegetal calfskin.

You wouldn’t think that such an elegant-looking bag would be functional, but it is. The Alice has a large opening on top to receive all your daily essentials, and a removable shoulder strap on snap hooks to give your hands a break. 

The bag’s two large outer pockets and clean interior reinforce its “sporty chic” spirit.  Inside is a zipped pocket with two compartments for both your iPhone and BlackBerry, while the front pocket, which has a flap closed by two leather-covered snap buttons, can carry yet another gadget, if you’re so inclined.  Pocket and compartment lovers like myself will be fully sated — the back even features another pocket.

Details include gold-toned metal hardware like studs on the bottom of the bag, elegant stitching, and delicate cutwork on the sides.  There’s a gold embossed logo on the inside pocket, and another on the front pocket flap.

The Chloé signature can also be found in the quality of the materials and the care with which the details have been added. Fashioned out of supple leather enhanced with python or vegetable-tanned leather, this mix of textures is set off by a two-tone look that offers a wide range of color combinations, from the softest pastels (sunrise, husky white) to the deepest darks (hot chocolate, fir green, black), and sometimes, even shimmering hues (holly berry).

Available in two sizes, medium or large for optimal holding capacity, the Alice became an “it” bag once “it” girls started carrying it: celebs who’ve cozied up to Alice include Jessica Alba, Diane Kruger, and Olivia Palermo.

‘B’ is for Baylee

“A bag with a strong personality, the Baylee has echoes of all the classic boyfriend bags I love — simple in shape, practical and ultimately a chic attitude,” explains Clare Waight Keller. “Its design, its signature, is best epitomized in a bicolor version where two bright colors offer a variety of combinations. I love the slouchy softness of its leather and the strong gold hardware zips linked together with our iconic Chloé chain bracelet.”
A perfect day bag that can change appearance with the pull of a zipper or a flip of your wrist (unlike the Alice, the other tone occupies the entire flip side of the bag), the Baylee is ultra-supple, changeable and customized with metallic detailing. The strap is fitted with a metallic plate meant to rest on the shoulder, which is how Keller presented it on the runway last March.

Another unique and stylish detail is the top zip closure, from which hangs a fine chain bracelet. You can “lock” the zippers on top and create a different look by playing with this bracelet, and attaching it to both zips instead of dangling it from just one.

With chic color combos like coral and sand, or classic black and white, size-wise the Baylee is roomy and useful. When hand-carried or rendered in exceptional versions such as ostrich or alligator, it looks like a different bag altogether: more feminine and sophisticated.
Its versatile look has already attracted another raft of stylish young celebs, from Kirsten Dunst to Kate Bosworth and January Jones.

Cool quotient? Very, very high.

***

Chloé is available only at Adora, 2/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati, tel. no. 217-4029.