PARIS (AP) — Philippe Aghion, the distinguished French economist and recent Nobel laureate, attributed his groundbreaking insights into innovation and economic growth to his family’s creative legacy. On Monday, Aghion, who shared the 2023 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with Joel Mokyr of Northwestern University and Peter Howitt of Brown University, paid tribute to his mother, Gaby Aghion, the visionary founder of the iconic fashion house Chloé. In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press from his Parisian apartment in the Latin Quarter, the 69-year-old professor highlighted how his mother revolutionized the fashion industry by introducing luxury ready-to-wear, a concept that offered women a more liberated and practical alternative to traditional haute couture. ‘I grew up with innovators. My mother invented luxury ready-to-wear,’ Aghion remarked, emphasizing her pioneering role in shaping modern fashion. He also reminisced about his childhood, surrounded by influential artists, including the legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld, who once assisted him with his German homework. Aghion’s research, which redefined the understanding of how technological advancements fuel economic prosperity, continues to be inspired by the themes of freedom and creativity that permeated his upbringing. His apartment, adorned with books on art and liberty, serves as a testament to the enduring influence of these values on his academic pursuits.
Nobel laureate Philippe Aghion says creative upbringing shaped his vision of innovation and freedom
