PARIS, Jan 6, 2006/ FW/ --- There was a ripple of disbelief yesterday in Paris when Chloé announced that its Creative Director Phoebe Philo is leaving the house.

"My decision to resign is for personal reasons, including especially to spend more time with my new baby in the coming months," Philo said in a statement.

No replacement had been named for Philo but with the pręt-a-porter season less than two months away, it is expected that Chloé’s current design team - Sara Jowett, Natasha Lee, Valeska Duetsch, Adrian Appiolaza and Yvan Mispelaere will create Chloé’s Fall 2006 collection.

Philo, who joined Chloé in 1997, took the creative helm in 2001 after Stella McCartney left the house to launch her own label.

Flourishing in Chloé, whose design philosophy is based on the strength of the current head designer and not on the name of the house, Philo’s feminine and sassy creations were instant favorites in the fashion crowd, bringing Chloé to new heights.

"I am grateful to the House of Chloe for giving me the opportunity to develop as a designer and to serve as its Creative Director for the past four years," said Philo. "Chloe is a beautiful house with a great history, and I am proud to have worked alongside the wonderfully talented people there."

"These past years have been an exciting period for all of us, and I wish the company all the best success in the future," she added.

Commenting on Philo’s departure, Ralph Toledano, chairman and CEO of Chloé said in a statement, “We thank Phoebe for her contribution to the continuing growth of the company. We respect her choice to focus on her family at this point in her life, and wish her all the best. Our design team has successfully worked independently on previous collections and I totally trust their creative ability to produce the upcoming Chloé collection.”