Chemena Kamali moves beyond archive references to deliver a distinctly personal vision of dramatic, joy-filled dressing.
The Chloé spring/summer 2027 show opened this morning in Paris with a proposition: clothing as unapologetic self-expression. Creative director Chemena Kamali presented a collection where saturated tomato reds and rubber duck yellows dominated full-length weather-ready coats paired with sweeping wide-brimmed hats that obscured one eye, their trailing fabric creating movement as models walked. Sunglasses completed the effect—'70s bohemian reimagined with deliberate boldness. This was not your mother's boho.
Texture, movement, and the return of big sleeves
The runway offered a study in contrasts: off-the-shoulder fringe and intricate lace rendered in silhouettes that merged '70s and '80s sensibilities. Silver flower bra tops caught the light, Bermuda shorts reappeared, and deep V-necks provided sexy counterpoints to long eyelet dresses that read unmistakably as Kamali's Chloé. Accessories demanded attention—sunglasses with chains, diminutive sailor hats, exaggerated asymmetrical earrings, and lace deployed throughout.
Several pieces signaled fresh territory for the designer. Vivid raincoats with matching hats, Y2K-influenced trench coats cut low with square necklines revealing lacy bra effects, and barely-there lace tops with more cutouts than coverage suggested experimentation beyond her established vocabulary. The opening looks—layered with chunky tassels that created joyful movement—established the collection's rhythm, amplified by enormous ruffled sleeves built from stacked tiers. Chloé has declared this the summer of big sleeves.
Archive references meet personal vision
The collection touched numerous contemporary currents—eyelets, lingerie dressing, tassels—without sacrificing coherence. Double-collared outerwear, sheer poncho layers over oversize utilitarian coats, and high-low skirts in baby yellow and white offered accessible entry points. Floral-appliquéd jumpsuits in bold hues and billowing skirts delivered what the collection notes described as "dopamine dressing coded through and through."
Three years into her tenure, Kamali has expanded Chloé beyond its bohemian foundations. She has previously drawn from Karl Lagerfeld's '70s and '80s archives and revived Phoebe Philo's viral cork wedges from spring/summer 2006. This season, a beaded bracelet bag—originally from Philo's spring/summer 2002 collection—appeared on the runway. Where past seasons emphasized archive excavation, spring/summer 2027 presented Kamali as more comfortable articulating her own version of the house.