“High summer feeling” and “airy opulence” were two of the show notes for Clare Waight Keller’s Chloé collection this season. The designer elaborated on the descriptors backstage before the show: “I’m trying to create the sense of lightness and transparency. That modernity — just crisp and sharp.”
From her first exit — a sandy tunic top with khaki wafflelike silk pants — Waight Keller made another message clear: It’s going to be a breezy summer at Chloé. The proof came via her ultralight fabrics, especially the crushed plissé pleats that were everywhere. Most notable were the lovely Japanese poly-silk ones that, while superfine, allowed Waight Keller to experiment with volume and still maintain a relaxed feel.
Several of the languid dresses exuded sweet romance via the details. A chic blue silk cloque dress, for one, featured fabric tied around the arms in place of sleeves. As for her palette, the olive hues felt a bit drab — it’s hard to imagine them inspiring a day by the sea — but her blues were lovely and romantic. Particularly strong: the smocked patchwork jacquards used for a long, lean dress, and the medallion fils coupé looks that added an opulent depth.
Such richness was also evoked in the set — striking gold-disc light installations shaped like the sun and casting a warm light onto the runway.
