Her full name is Gabriela Hanoka. When she got married, she moved to Paris. In 1952, Gabi created her debut collection of luxury clothing for everyday wear: unpretentious, elegant, urban and feminine. Five years later, she staged a show at the Cafe de Flore, a place for aristocrats, writers and artists. While guests drank coffee with milk, models maneuvered between tables in spring-summer looks.

Chloe became the first house to hold shows in this café on the Left Bank of the Seine for almost 10 years. Karl Lagerfeld worked with Gabi in the heyday of the house, when Parisians fell in love with Chloe’s simultaneously daring and romantic style.

“I created a small collection and hired an experienced dressmaker who had previously worked in high fashion houses. I myself selected fabrics and even buttons and was not afraid to take risks. Soon I could no longer think about anything else. It was like a tornado!” — Gaby Aghien