The conversation then turned to Hearst’s commitment to sustainability. It’s an ethos she brought to Chloé, turning it into a B Corp-certified brand, and a constant consideration when sourcing materials for her current collections. She explained that eliminating excess was core to her mission at Chloé; when it comes to quality products, less is more. While her clothes could certainly be described as “quiet luxury,” they really exist beyond the realm of fast-paced trends.
Hearst is the first to admit that she’s always marched to her own beat. She is fascinated by spirituality, divinity, and witchiness, and has based several of her collections on powerful women from history. Hearst looks to the past to learn from female thought leaders and creators, seeing them as the only solution for the future. Amid a digital revolution and raging climate crisis, women, she feels, will precipitate the change we need. “I am a devout believer that we won’t see the progress that we need to save our species if women are not in leadership positions,” Hearst told Phelps.
With her latest collection came an ode to the surrealist painter and feminist Leonora Carrington. Hearst knows that we are living through trying times—and surrealism is a lens through which we can try to make some sense of it all.
