She called it The Evolution Collection and AW25 marked a new era of sorts for Chemena Kamali. “I felt that moving forward is just as important as honouring the past,” said the designer who is digging deeper into the Chloé girl state of mind. She sees her job as listening and “trying to capture the house’s spirit in an honest way.” The designer listed the qualities of the brand as, “Soft strength, natural femininity, lightness, independence, freedom.” All of those qualities were expressed in her collection.

Fluid bias chiffon maxi skirts, worn low on the hips, were anchored with cropped little Victorian jackets and bags hung with many gold charms. Diaphanous, lace trimmed nightgowns were paired with plush fur stoles, and super-sized ’80s overcoats were worn with long vintage slips. She mixed the softness up with leather jeans and enveloping rain macs in deep burgundy red. The Chloé archive provided one much anticipatory treasure – a revival of the Paddington bag, complete with its heavyweight padlock. Flounced taffeta ball skirts worn with little lace camisoles and acres of midriff offered a fresh romantic take on eveningwear and a parade of power shouldered blouses worn with whisp-like chiffon skirts or little belted minis brought something stronger to the Chloé party. That assertive note felt as good as it looked in the heady romantic mix. Silk and steel – Chloé style.

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