Chloé is on fire this winter. David Sims frames Grace Hartzel against a sun-washed Belle Époque villa in the South of France. The gardens tangle, terraces glow, and Hartzel moves like she’s rewriting the rules of escape. Lace one moment, fur the next, and tailoring that snaps a reminder that innocence never looked so untamed. Chloé balances grit and glamour, cinema and sun, restraint and hedonism in a way that feels entirely real.
Creative director Chemena Kamali says Grace brought “sensuality, rebellious charisma and dynamic free spirited energy” and made the campaign entirely hers. That energy feels like a personal rebellion against perfection itself, the kind that still leaves you breathless.
Beyond the lush visuals, Kamali herself brings a narrative worth savoring. Born in Germany in 1981 and named after the Sophia Loren character in The Cid, she floated between Dortmund and Laguna Beach as a kid. Her parents opened a store in California, yet she spent weekends in her father’s garage and clipping images from international issues of Vogue. She knew she wanted to make clothes before high school.WikipediaVogue
She studied garment construction at Trier University and later earned her master’s in fashion from Central Saint Martins, graduating with distinction in 2007 under Louise Wilson’s famously demanding eye. VogueWikipedia Then she did something bold: boxed her portfolio and took a train from Düsseldorf to Paris with no name or appointment, just hoping to show her work. She convinced the studio director to see her after waiting hours in the lobby, and that impulsive move launched her fashion life. Vogue
Her career arc feels cinematic. She worked under Phoebe Philo, Hannah MacGibbon and Clare Waight Keller at Chloé, then headed to Saint Laurent under Vaccarello, and finally circled back to Chloé as creative director in 2023. Wallpaper*VogueVogue Business Her debut show in early 2024 was a big emotional reset for the house. She called it a homecoming. Voguemissionmag.orgWikipedia
The Guardian describes her style as “the spirit of the 70s,” a sensibility of undoneness, natural beauty, and liberation. Think gauzy sundresses, high-waisted jeans, rose prints from a 1977 Lagerfeld collection. She layers nostalgia with freedom, refusing to call it boho, she prefers the term spirit. The Guardian
As of 2025 her third collection centers on one star piece: the blouse, billowy and ruffled in ivory and peach silk with commanding cuffs that feel as powerful as a jacket. Paired with wide-legged trousers, slip dresses, and layered Victorian jackets, the collection feels like a deep breath in fashion. AP News
Through it all Kamali’s core intention shines: “Moving forward is just as important as honoring the past. She is multifaceted. Emotionally charged. Rich with nuance.” That lines up with the Riviera rebel that Hartzel embodies in this campaign, restrained yet radiant, unruly yet refined.
Chloé’s Winter 2025 is more than clothes. It is a story of freedom, a legacy renewed, and a woman unafraid to linger in the light of her own contradictions.
