DECADES FASHION FACT: COOL IN CHLOE

I dunno about you, but I'm crazy for Chloé. Founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion, who sensed in a gap in the market between Haute Couture and off-the-rack plain-jane clothing, Chloé from the jump, was a high-end line of soft, exquisitely made feminine clothing with luxe fabrics that didn't conform to Haute Couture rules and regulations but were fashionable well-made clothes that made the woman who couldn't quite afford Dior, stand out in a crowd.

Allegedly, Gaby called this new type of catagory "pret-a-porter". (Who knew she coined the phrase? Btw, Chloé's pret-a-porter lines were so successful, that the couturiers quickly introduced their own versions, with Givenchy being the first to hop on the P-a-P train, with the Givenchy University collection in 1956.) Chloé also made it their business to work with wunderkind designers such as Maxime de la Falaise and Michèle Rosier.

In the mid-60s, Chloé started working with a young upstart designer from Germany, Karl Lagerfeld, maybe you've heard the name. (wink) Several luminous ladies such as Jackie Kennedy, Brigitte Bardot, Maria Callas and Grace Kelly sported Karl's Chloé clothing.

In 1985, Chloé is purchased by the Richemont Group. They continue to hire top-tier talent, such as Martine Stibon. Eventually, in 1997 Stella McCartney is hired to helm the brand. McCartney takes the brand back to it's roots with feminine coquette-ish clothing and accessories. since McCartney's departure in 2001 to run her own label, today's major design players have worked for the brand including Phoebe Philo and Hannah MacGibbon. Upon MacGibbon's claim of the reins, Chloe Sevigny signs the dotted line and becomes a spokeswoman for the house. It is this pairing, not to mention the shared name, which inspired the Decades online team to post Chloe clothing yesterday followed by clothing by Chloé today.

Personally, I have my eye on a vintage Chloé cream skirt with tiered lace at the hem; though a vintage navy dress with embroidery is also calling my name. Sigh. Decisions, decisions.

To shop our specially-picked grouping of vintage and modern Chloé, click here. For a preview, dig the pieces below.

--Lizzy

Vintage Chloé navy dress with embroidery

Vintage Chloé cream skirt with lace hem

Modern Chloé black dress with deep V-neck

Modern Chloé dress with metallic paillette paisley designs

HIGH LOW CHLOE

As we all know, New Yorkers love to talk and Big Apple dwellers love them some Chloe Sevigny dish. It seems that everyone I know kicked it with at Liquid Sky back in the day or spotted Sevigny as a vintage-clad teen skulking through the East Village when she allegedly eschewed handbags in favor of carrying her essentials in a white plastic deli bag. Several years later, Sevigny sightings are still as numerous as they were in the early 90s, when Sevigny interned at Sassy and was the subject of Jay McInerney's infamous New Yorker send-up, Chloe's Scene, and discussion/dissection of what makes an "It" girl.

Sigh. What happened to the "It" girl? Where has she gone? In all likelihood, she's left the city entirely, and is posting up somewhere in the country in a geodesic dome that's she built herself while she cans and pickles and quilts.

If you ask me, Chloe is one of, if not the, last truly great "It" girls. She eschews stylists and does her own hair and make-up and consistently knocks it out of the park on the red carpet. Her style is truly inimitable plus her affinity for vintage and her ability to know how to wear it in a way that always feels modern, makes her a truly fashionable gal. And I'm not the only one. I'm pretty sure that the gang over at Opening Ceremony finds her pretty chic as they've tapped her to collaborate on an in-house line of clothing season after season.

Of course, seeing Chloe in Decades picks is always a blast. Here's a few of my favorite Chloe Sevigny selections over the years:

--Lizzy

Chloe in vintage Paco Rabanne haute couture dress and necklace in a shoot for the LA Times

Chloe in vintage Thierry Mugler at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2007

Chloe in vintage Holly Harp at the Academy Awards in 2002

So, we picked a few pieces and just posted them on our website here that remind of fashion's most beloved daredevil. Check out a preview below:

Vintage Issey Miyake draped dress, Vintage Theirry Mugler black leather dress, vintage YSL princess puff sleeve cocktail dress

Zimmerman mint bouclé dress, YSL black jumpsuit, YSL grey jersey vest