About this speaker
Chloe Dao discovered her love for fashion at the age of 10 while watching CNN’s Style with Elsa Klensch. She went on to pursue her passion in New York City where she earned a patternmaking degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After completing her education, she honed her skills in all of aspects of the industry, including design, production management and buying. In 2000, she returned to her hometown of Houston, Texas to open the Chloe DAO boutique, formerly known as LOT 8. It was her Project Runway Season 2 win that catapulted Chloe from a local immigrant designer to an international superstar living out her American dream. As a Project Runway veteran, she went on to become an Executive Producer and judge on Season 1 of the Vietnam installment in 2014. Chloe’s longtime commitment to philanthropy has played an integral role in her design and business philosophy. It is for this reason that she serves on fashion advisory boards at Houston Community College and The Art Institute. In honor of breast cancer awareness, she makes an annual contribution of a limited edition silk scarf for the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority’s Think Pink Foundation. These scarves have traveled the world with Susan G. Komen’s International Race Ambassador, Dorothy Paterson. Adding to her philanthropic efforts, in 2016 she commissioned a gown for the Salvation Army Houston Area Command’s silent auction. Proceeds from this event provided year-round assistance to those afflicted by addiction and homelessness.