Chloé Womenswear A/W12

The opening look of a peach oversized duffle coat set the tone for Clare Waight Keller’s second season at Chloé. Once again she felt her Englishness in Paris and injected that contrast into the collection. The house has come to be known for effortless ease and Waight Keller doesn't seem to want to rock this boat that gives people the perfect cream blouse, a dependable beige coat and a simple shirt dress. This collection was amplified by a London sense of sporty casualness fused with Parisian’s innate way of keeping ensembles put together and chic. A biker jacket and sweatshirt comes in an vivid shade of peachy pink and are paired with tailored cream tracksuit bottoms. Wide culottes come with elasticated hems and contrast against a neat double roll-neck sweatshirt with a peach quilted front.

Waight Keller performs a balancing act between Chloé’s house codes of delicate prettiness and what she calls her "English festival girl", a muse that she referenced last season, subtly inflected in what is ultimately a refined collection

Giant pockets, quilting and other parka constructions form the backbone of Waight Keller’s outerwear for the season and are distinct in their colour palette of powdery pink, blue and lemon. Waight Keller performs a balancing act between Chloé’s house codes of delicate prettiness and what she calls her "English festival girl", a muse that she referenced last season, subtly inflected in what is ultimately a refined collection. The touches of off-white lace seen in a simple coat and a gathered waisted skirt were the Chloé girl’s eveningwear choices that could probably go from festival field to somewhere fancier. Waight Keller has gotten a real steer for what makes Chloé "Chloé", and the next step of making her own stamp more emphatic at the house, will be an interesting thing to see.