Chloe Dao, a proud Vietnamese Asian-American, small business owner and fashion entrepreneur, was born in Laos as the sixth of eight girls. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, with 8 years of experience in the New York luxury fashion scene. In 2000, she launched the LOT 8 boutique in Houston and in 2021 moved to M-K-T Heights. With more than 24 years in business, her goal has always remained the same—to make a woman feel beautiful with effortless and timeless designs.
She was catapulted to international fame after winning Project Runway Season 2 in 2006. As a fashion designer, businesswoman and style expert, Chloe has been in Forbes, People, TIME, ELLE and the Wall Street Journal and featured on CNN, The View and Good Morning America. She was as an ambassador for Barbie’s 60th Anniversary “You Can Be Anything” campaign and has collaborated on projects with the NFL and Dove. Chloe has been exhibited at the Smithsonian and is permanently archived in Google Arts & Culture in Houston Community College’s Fashion Archive.
Chloe has made a big impact in the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community in Houston and beyond. Most recently, in a collaboration with the Houston Public Library, Rice University and the Chao Center for Asian Studies, Chloe celebrated AAPI month with fellow Asian designers in a fashion show. She has also participated in a roundtable discussion led by MSNBC’s Katie Phang, for a screening of “The Culture Is: AAPI Women Thursday,” a four-part series highlighting diverse women. At SXSW in Austin, Chloe was on hand for the Asian American Artists and Entrepreneur Meetup.
Chloe embodies “If you can give back, you should give back.” Sharing her knowledge, time and success, she enjoys helping others and being a part of their journey. In late 2020, Chloe and her team designed the HoUSton t-shirt, showcasing all races and identities, celebrating the city’s diversity, with a percentage of sales going to rotating charities. Her collaborations with Zeta Tau Alpha Think Pink, Ronald McDonald House Houston, Salvation Army and MD Anderson Cancer Center are a testament to her commitment to philanthropy.