Natacha Ramsay-Levi, who brought an edgy elan to Chloé over a nearly four-year stint, is stepping down as creative director of the French fashion house, effective today.
Chloé revealed her departure in a brief press release, but stopped short of naming her successor, saying that would be done “in due course.”
“Over the last months of health, social and economic turmoil, I have thought about the changes I want to see in our industry and how to better align them with my own creative, intellectual and emotional values,” Ramsay-Levi said. “It is this reflection that makes me consider my future differently and desire to pursue new opportunities.”
Chloé chief executive officer Riccardo Bellini thanked Ramsay-Levi for making “a great contribution to Chloé, bringing at its center the intelligence and sense of mission that were defined by our founder. She is an important member of that proud tradition of women who have designed at Chloé. Her creative leadership and her vision have written a powerful and meaningful chapter in our story.”
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Long a key associate of Nicolas Ghesquière, Ramsay-Levi joined Chloé in April 2017 from Louis Vuitton, where she had been creative director of women’s ready-to-wear since 2013.
The designer started her fashion career at Balenciaga in 2002 and rose through the design ranks to become Ghesquière’s top design deputy. When the Frenchman exited Balenciaga in 2013, she went on to consult for several brands, including Hermès and Acne Studios, before rejoining Ghesquière at Vuitton.
Ghesquière was invariably in the front row of all of Ramsay-Levi’s shows to cheer her on.
That said, Ramsay-Levi kept a relatively low profile, even as she helped the house inch its way towards a more purpose-driven business model hinged on social sustainability and aiding the advancement of women.
Her spring 2021 fashion show, held outdoors in early October in the shadow of the Palais de Tokyo, featured T-shirts and dresses bearing words by the late American artist Corita Kent. A religious sister, Kent won acclaim in the ’60s for her slogan-based works about poverty, racism and war, and her messages of peace and social justice.
Founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion, Chloé has been designed by a rotating cast of design talents including Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo, Hannah MacGibbon and Clare Waight Keller.
This story was reported by WWD and originally appeared on WWD.com.
