Introduction
Guy Paulin was a French designer associated with Byblos and the immediate post-Lagerfeld transition at Chloé. After working in Italian ready-to-wear, he replaced Karl Lagerfeld at Chloé and presented his first collection for the house during the Paris shows in March 1984.
Paulin’s Chloé tenure was brief and its end date remains unresolved, but contemporary reporting establishes him as the first named successor after Lagerfeld’s departure. Peter O’Brien joined as his assistant in 1985 before the studio moved into another phase of internal leadership.
Design ethos
Paulin worked with knit, fishnet, chiffon and fluid evening shapes, using transparency and movement to keep womenswear light on the body. His first Chloé collection retained the house’s blouses and soft dresses while adjusting their proportion and surface.
The surviving record is concise, so broad claims about a complete house language would be premature. What is clear is an interest in pliable construction and a less formal transition out of Lagerfeld’s picture-dress period.
Disclaimer
Career history
1984
Guy Paulin presented his first Chloé collection in March 1984 after replacing Karl Lagerfeld. Contemporary reporting confirms the succession, while his exact departure date and the complete span of his collections remain unresolved.
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