French luxury fashion house CHLOÉ presented the Spring Summer 2023 Collection, with a show, held on September 29th, during the ongoing Paris Fashion Week. The collection marks the second chapter of the Maison’s research into climate solutions, continuing the Spring 2023 collection’s line of inquiry into fusion energy. For Creative Director Gabriela Hearst, if there is one sure way of achieving climate success, it is the rapid elimination of fossil fuels, which account for around 84% of the world’s primary energy consumption.
SPRING SUMMER 2023 COLLECTIONS
In this chapter of climate success, the focus of our research was fusion energy as a large-scale, peaceful, clean energy source. What I didn’t expect to experience from our visits to ITER (public sector), Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Helion (private sector) was the powerful passion that overtook me to tell the good news to everyone that would listen. The energy that moves our universe will, in the not so distant future, help power our world and solve many of our concerns today. I have deep gratitude for the star builders that not only deal with one of the hardest challenges in physics – plasma – but also, through their eyes, see a future that is as bright as the stars we are made of. – Gabriela Hearst, Chloé Creative Director
Our lives are already powered by fusion—the hydrogen fusion at the core of our Sun delivering light and heat on Earth. For humans to imitate this force of nature—to build mini-Suns as a concentrated clean energy source—is both outrageously ambitious and a tsunami of hope for the future. At ITER, 35 countries are pooling their best scientific and engineering minds to make this dream a reality. – Laban Coblentz, ITER Head of Communication
Commonwealth Fusion Systems is working to bring limitless, clean fusion energy to the world to combat climate change. We are inspired by Gabriela and the Chloé team and their incredible work to raise awareness of this joint mission. – Brandon Sorbom, Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Our team was very excited to hear from Gabriela about her vision for this fusion-inspired collection. She has the foresight to see with great clarity the things that will have a tangible, sustainable impact on the world, and fusion definitely fits into that mix. It’s great to see how she has highlighted fusion technology to bring it to the world in such a beautiful way. – David Edwin Kirtley, CEO of Helion Energy
I was surprised how many people didn’t know about fusion—the clear opportunity we have with this collection to tell the positive story and cross pollinate audiences. It is extremely rewarding to use creativity to visually express what we learnt and reflect it in garments and pieces of the collection. The show itself has a laser light installation resembling the magnet placement in a tokamak (the device used to produce Magnetic Confinement Fusion). – Gabriela Hearst
Gabriela and the Chloé design team conducted extensive research into fusion for the SS23 collection, speaking to engineers and scientists as well as visiting Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Helion Energy and ITER. Meaning ‘the way’ in Latin, ITER is one of the most ambitious energy projects in the world today. Bringing together 35 nations, the goal of this unprecedented global scientific partnership is to build the world’s largest tokamak reactor; a device designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale source of energy. The colossal ITER tokamak, its various components and the site of the reactor served as inspiration for many of the SS23 fabrications. Layering garments made from lower-impact knitted cashmere mesh are complimented with textured linen tailoring. Coats in raw silk fasten down the centre front with industrial hardware; and the edges of a linen jacket and cape are finished with coloured leather tape for a utilitarian effect. Metallic hand-blown glass beads are suspended in cutouts on tunic tops and dresses, and metal rings and geometric suede panels are hand-crocheted together to form dresses. – from CHLOÉ
