Chloë Sevigny needs no introduction, but for the sake of good journalism: she’s the original It-girl, an enduring ’90s style icon with legions of devoted fans. Her unique brand of cool makes today’s cookie-cutter influencers pale by comparison. A stalwart of the New York scene (and famously a hater of LA), Chloë has been at the centre of some of fashion’s most significant moments. From walking the Miu Miu runway alongside Kate Moss and fronting Sofia Coppola’s X-Girl campaign in the ’90s, to becoming a Loewe poster girl and tying the knot in Glenn Martens for Jean Paul Gaultier, she’s always been ahead of the curve.
Sevigny’s footwear choices have always been as eclectic – and occasionally impractical – as the rest of her wardrobe. She was wearing Margiela’s Tabi flats when @SocksHouseMeeting was but a twinkle in a digital creator’s eye, and socks with loafers when Hailey Bieber was still Hailey Baldwin. As she becomes the face (and feet) of Ecco, Chloë chatted to Vogue about her personal style, the pieces that will always be in her wardrobe, and that time she broke her teeth falling off her Balenciaga heels…
Would you describe yourself as a collector?
It comes in cycles. I gravitate toward things that are timeless, pieces I can wear for years. Like these boots I’m wearing today – I could’ve worn them 30 years ago and they’d still work. I’ve definitely experimented. There have been looks – especially red carpet ones – that didn’t quite land, but I’ve loved fashion since I was a little girl and always had fun with it. My parents instilled a love of classic pieces in me, and I think even if you have a really wacky outfit, a single classic piece can ground it.
Is there anything that’s remained a constant in your wardrobe?
Always a clunky black shoe. Denim, obviously. Oxford shirts, fisherman’s sweaters, a good blue blazer. Band T-shirts. Some incredible denim pieces thrown in. That preppy-with-a-twist vibe is kind of an overarching theme in my style.
Do you have any tortured memories of certain shoes?
Famously, I fell while wearing a ridiculously high pair of Balenciaga boots and broke my front teeth. I was swinging around with a friend, he let go, and I went straight down onto the pavement. I still have the boots but those are extremely tortured memories.
In Kids, I wore these white Velcro Pro Keds sneakers and I kind of wish I’d kept the whole outfit. I still have the T-shirt, but the jeans and the belt got lost in one of my closet sales. I wish I had that entire ensemble as a relic.
Are there any shoes you’ve worn into the ground?
I’m pretty good, there’s a cobbler in my building who I really like. It’s a father-son duo. When I was younger, I definitely would wear them shoes and be walking on the nails. A lot of my youth was spent walking on nails because I was so into vintage shoes.
You’re famously a fan of Ecco’s Biom C-Trail ballerinas. What is it about the shoe that works for you?
I was walking down Broadway one day and I saw the ballet shoes in the window and it just clicked. I used to wear them all the time in the early 2000s. The second I walked in, I was like, “I want every shoe in here.” Even my stylist and my friends kept texting me, asking where they could find them. They were just the perfect shoe – they still are.
Were you looking for the perfect shoe or was it divine timing?
I’m not really a sneaker person and I was looking for something more elevated. New York is all about walking and I wanted something light, comfy but still chic. I can’t get enough of them, I could wear them to a party or even to the playground and they’re springy. I don’t know the technical jargon for what’s going on over at Ecco, but they’ve really cracked the code.
Aside from shoes, what else are you excited about this year?
I love spring, when the warm weather comes, the flowers bloom and we spend summers in Cape Cod. I also have a movie coming out in the fall with Julia Roberts and Ayo Edebiri, directed by Luca Guadagnino.
One of my New Year’s resolutions was to make more time for my friends. Tonight, I’m going to a friend’s art opening and in a couple of weeks, I’m going to a Persian New Year’s dinner. Just making time for people I don’t see as often anymore – that’s what I’m excited about.