Founder, CHLOECHEN
Who is the CHLOECHEN woman?
CHLOECHEN women are those independent ladies who have their own thoughts, are looking to be different, know exactly what they want, have their own dreams and are brave enough to pursue them.
What was the initial concept behind the brand CHLOECHEN? How has it evolved?
CHLOECHEN first started purely as a fashion brand. I really love vintage products, so I designed fashion items in a modern style with vintage elements attached. As time went by, CHLOECHEN grew into a lifestyle brand because we found that our customers not only cared about what to wear, but also about their whole lifestyle. We then expanded our product line into furniture and home decorations amongst other things. In addition to that, our home-stay rental project, CHLOECHEN-Home, officially launched this year, and we also established another interior design studio. CHLOECHEN keeps providing a better lifestyle for our beloved customers in a comprehensive way.
What have been some of your career highlights?
I first started with shoe design. The shoe collection received compliments from Cameron Diaz. She even wanted to purchase them but there was no retail store in New York at that time. Regardless, I was very glad that she loved my designs so much. With the brand developing, I got interviewed by luxe TV, Elle, and Vogue and was acclaimed as one of the hottest designers in Asia. That meant a lot to me. As previously mentioned, apart from our fashion line, we launched our new homestay project CHLOECHEN-Home and another interior design studio this year, which now makes ‘CHLOECHEN’ a comprehensive lifestyle brand.
What’s your biggest lesson learned on your entrepreneurial journey to date?
Everyone should do what they think is right. Different people have their own ways and goals, so you need to stick to your choice and decision strongly to make it work. Don’t be a follower. Also a great team is very important because no success can be achieved by yourself. Everything is possible, nothing is impossible, it depends on how badly you want to get it.
You’ve been designing since 2007, what’s the secret to your longevity?
I must say that design is not a very hard thing for me. Some people are good at swimming, some are good at drawing. I’m very lucky to have this talent in my life and it is something I can do for a lifetime. I get so much inspiration from travelling all around the world, as well as from visiting art fairs. Anything I see or feel can refresh my mind and become the inspiration in my next collection.
What does success mean to you?
This is a very interesting question, because I do have some very different benchmarks for success☺. I think success does not only mean you have a great career, it is a balanced life which includes personal life, a loving job, a great team and everything else. If all I have is my career without the other elements, then it’s useless to me.
What advice would you give to designers just starting out and hoping to make it in the industry?
The fashion industry is very tough. If you want to start out in it, you have to know it’s not only for fun. I used to work until 2am or 3am in the morning at the beginning, but I still loved what I was doing. Make sure you have a strong passion about fashion, and be willing to devote all your energy and time to it and then you are going to make it one day.
If you would like to find out more about CHLOECHEN you can find them at:
Website: www.chloechen.com
WeChat: CHLOECHEN2014
Weibo: CHLOECHEN上海
Instagram: chloechen_tw
Facebook: C H L O E C H E N
SHOP - Shanghai
•Kerry Centre Flagship Store
NB1-09C, Kerry Center, No.1539 West Nanjing Road, Jingan District
•Ferguson Lane Lifestyle Store
Room122, FERGUSON LANE, No.374 Wukang Road, Xuhui District
•Xiang Yang Store
Ground Floor, No.174, South Xiangyang Road, Xuhui District
•Shanghai Village Outlet
Unit P4, No.88, East Shendi Road, Pudong New District