Presented by Chloé Arts, the Paris Photo exhibition transforms a folkloric pageant into a meditation on femininity and connection.
For the second Chloé Arts initiative, Chloé presented Konkursas, a new series by British photographer Francesca Allen. The exhibition, in partnership with Paris Photo, captures the strength and beauty of women’s shared rituals, reflecting the maison’s ongoing mission to champion female creativity beyond fashion.
The project takes its name from Konkursas Pasaulio Ilgaplaukes, Lithuania’s annual contest for the world’s longest hair. In late 2024, Allen travelled to Kaunas to document the event firsthand. Her lens captured cascading hair and judges in white gloves measuring their strands.
Known for her portraits of intimacy and girlhood, Allen approaches Konkursas with the same openness. Her photographs reveal the pageant’s duality of spectacle and strength — women performing for an audience yet preserving a ritual that binds them together.
In Lithuanian folklore, hair represents vitality and spirit. Here, hair serves both as a personal ornament and as a shared inheritance. By showing both performance and ritual, Allen looks beyond the spectacle to capture how women create meaning together.
The focus on connection echoes Chloé’s founding values. When Gaby Aghion established the maison in 1952, she championed women’s freedom to express themselves. Her belief that style should serve individuality still runs through Chloé’s DNA.
Today, that legacy continues under creative director Chemena Kamali, who brings the maison’s femininity into new contexts.
Launched under Kamali’s direction, Chloé Arts expands the house’s mission beyond fashion. The initiative spotlights women working across photography, music, film, and design — creating a platform for collaboration rather than competition.
The exhibition runs from November 13-16 ?? at Paris Photo. In December, Konkursas will take the form of print, with the project being released as a book co-published by Chloé Arts and German publisher Steidl.
Konkursas reflects Chloé’s wider vision– that art and fashion can serve as spaces for women to be seen, supported, and celebrated on their own terms.
All images by Francesca Allen, courtesy of Chloé.
