Jacques Lenoir

Jacques Lenoir (1919–2009) was a fashion businessman and Gaby Aghion’s partner in the development of Chloé. Aghion established the Paris house in 1952 and formed a business partnership with Lenoir in 1953: she directed its creative work while he handled its commercial and administrative operations. Together they presented Chloé’s first formal collection at the Café de Flore in 1956 and ran the company until its sale in 1985.

Lenoir directed Chloé’s commercial, administrative and organisational development while the house worked with a changing group of designers. Karl Lagerfeld joined the design team in the mid-1960s and became increasingly central during the following decade. Lenoir provided the business structure for Aghion’s model of high-quality ready-to-wear sold through boutiques, helping the company expand while its collections were developed by Aghion and the designers she commissioned.