CHLOE GOSSELIN

Name: Chloe Gosselin

Instagram: @chloegosselin

City: Las Vegas

Intro: I'm a French girl from Normandie who always dreamt of travelling & making a living through my creativity. I first moved to Belgium to study Fine Arts & painting, I imagined myself being an artist but also loved Fashion. Shoes were for me a perfect bridge between these two worlds, shoes are sculptures that we spend our lives walking into. After a decade working as a model and having moved to New York I went back to school to study shoe making. It is really the birth of my daughter Sky, that gave me the motivation and the courage to pursue this new career path. I launched my eponymous brand in 2014, my shoes are handmade in Italy by artisans that have learnt their craft from generation to generation. They are made in small quantities and highlight this savoir faire but also rich, unique and timeless design elements. I have always been inspired by vintage and love to find the design elements that passed the test of time and infuse that into my shoe designs. I believe in Fashion that lasts where a piece isn't obsolete after a season. I love to think of the shoe as the centrepiece of the outfit, bringing rich colours and materials like satins or velvets, and recognizable details like my ruched straps and hand painted bamboo buckles.

What are the lessons you’ve learnt in lock-down: Before the pandemic started I was already thinking of downsizing my brand and going back to the essential. Our industry is incredibly wasteful and I made the necessary changes to be as sustainable as possible, my collections have been smaller and curated. I completely parted with my wholesale accounts which is of course bittersweet, our times are changing but it allowed me to build a direct relationship with my customers and allocate budget to bring bimonthly newness and exclusivities.

It is incredibly sad to see our industry, really all industries and people being so affected by this crisis. I was very hopeful at first as I sensed unity, people were careful to protect one another, even people they've never met. But I feel that things are changing and that we are losing perspective here, this shall pass. Our global economy took a big toll, but we will rebuild, we have to come together and help each other.

On a personal note it has been amazing to spend so much family and quality time together. My husband had to halt his performances for over 7 months which has never happened in his life. Of course, he missed working but he was able to spend so much time with the kids and create memories at home that will last forever. I'm lucky that my studio is on the second floor of our home, so I have been able to keep up with work ok between making lunches and helping Sky through the home-school. Our animals have been little lifesavers, our dogs Rosie and Orson make us laugh daily and my horse Arie has been keeping me sane.

I have been living in Las Vegas mostly for the past few years but would go back and forth between New York, sometimes LA and Paris. As much as I missed traveling this year, I felt really lucky to be here and not in the middle of a city, it is a blessing to be able to take a hike in the mountains these days.

I know a lot of us joke about forgetting about this year 2020 entirely but I think it will be such a defining year that will shape our future. Beyond the health crisis, we have learned to stand up for what we believe in. The BLM movement materialized what a lot of us have been feeling for a long time but that we were not strong enough to voice, we want real changes! We want true equality between races and genders, and we aren't afraid to say it anymore. I want equal rights and respect for our LGBTQ+ community, they deserve it so much. The list goes on and on but this year we opened these conversations and now we will have a President and a government that will listen and hopefully change things for the better.

What do you miss most / what are you looking forward to: I miss my family and my friends a lot. I haven't seen my parents in over a year as they are in France. I'm dreaming of taking a vacation with my family in the South of France next year, true quality time with good meals and laughs.

What have you learned about yourself this year: I have learned that I am not as messed up as I thought ha! Joke aside I know this year has been really hard for people mentally and I feel very lucky that I am able to say that I'm fine, I have been counting my blessings and even if I do spend a lot of time with myself I have actually focused on others and finding ways to help through volunteering and raising money through my Archive sales for charities that are dear to my heart.

Thoughts for the new year: It will be crucial next year to keep the conversations open and make sure that we don't go back to the way it was before. When we all get busy again with our personal projects and growth we still need to think of the numerous injustices and make sure that at our level we all make changes to bring justice, peace and happiness into this World. We can all help in our way.

What are you wearing and why were you drawn to it: Huishan's plisse trench! This is the piece that made me fall in love with his work. I love a twist on a classic silhouette, clothing that you can wear everyday as they are functional but also one of a kind. This trench is a must have in every closet to me in the shimmery beige or the navy. I love it.

Chloe wears: The Madison Trench Coat in champagne.