Clare Waight Keller
Born
Clare Waight

(1970-08-19) 19 August 1970
Birmingham, England
Education
OccupationFashion designer
SpousePhilip Keller
Children3

Clare Waight Keller (born 19 August 1970) is a British stylist and fashion designer, who has served as the Artistic Director for a number of luxury fashion houses and brands, including Pringle of Scotland, Chloé, and Givenchy.[1][2] In 2023, she launched a collection with Japanese mass-market brand Uniqlo.[3]

Early life and education

Keller was born in Birmingham, England on 19 August 1970.[4] She studied at Ravensbourne College of Art, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Fashion, followed by a master's degree at the Royal College of Art.[5]

Career

She started her career at Calvin Klein in New York as a stylist for the women's ready-to-wear line, then at Ralph Lauren, for the Purple Label menswear line.[6] In 2000, she was hired by Tom Ford to join Gucci, responsible for women's ready-to-wear and accessories, until her departure in 2004.[5] The following year, she became artistic director of Pringle of Scotland.[7] In 2007, she received the Scottish Fashion Awards 'Designer of the Year' in the cashmere category.[8] She resigned her position at Pringle of Scotland in 2011.[7] In the same year, she moved to Paris where she became the artistic director of Chloé. In 2017, Keller was appointed artistic director of haute couture and ready-to-wear for women and men at Givenchy.[9] Replacing Riccardo Tisci, she was the first woman to hold the position at the company.[10]

She designed the wedding dress which Meghan Markle wore for her wedding to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, on 19 May 2018.[11]

For her second couture show, Waight Keller went through Givenchy's archives, and used modern materials "to create something that floats".[12]

In January 2019, for autumn/winter 19, Waight Keller presented her first standalone menswear collection for Givenchy in Paris. It was an intimate salon show that just consisted of 17 looks with a complete day to evening wardrobe. While future Givenchy ready-to-wear and haute couture shows will remain combined, this means Waight Keller's vision of Givenchy menswear is given its own stage.[13][14]

She left Givenchy on 10 April 2020.[15]

In August 2023, she announced a line with Uniqlo, Uniqlo : C. The 34-piece collection launched in September 2023, available online and in 1,500 stores across the globe.[16]

Awards and honours

At the 2018 British Fashion Awards, Keller was presented the British Designer of the Year Womenswear Award by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and actress Rosamund Pike.[17][18]

In 2019, Time magazine included Keller in its annual list of the most influential people of the year.[19]

Personal life

She is married to Philip Keller, an architect. They have three children, twins Amelia and Charlotte, and Harrison.[20]

References

  1. Friedman, Vanessa (1 October 2017). "The Verdict on Clare Waight Keller's Givenchy". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  2. Cartner-Morley, Jess (1 October 2017). "Clare Waight Keller's first Givenchy show is sweetness and light". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  3. Chen, Cathaleen (16 August 2023). "Uniqlo Taps Clare Waight Keller for Fall Capsule". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  4. "Clare Waight Keller". Givenchy. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018.
  5. 1 2 Niven, Lisa (24 March 2009). "Clare Waight Keller". Vogue.
  6. "Clare Waight Keller". Business of Fashion. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  7. 1 2 Milligan, Lauren (11 March 2011). "Pringle Resignation". Vogue.
  8. Williams, Janice. "Who is Clare Waight Keller? Meghan Markle's Wedding Dress Designed by Givenchy's Creative Director". Newsweek.
  9. Phelps, Nicole (16 March 2017). "Clare Waight Keller Is Givenchy's New Artistic Director". Vogue.
  10. Cochrane, Lauren (16 March 2017). "Clare Waight Keller becomes the first female artistic director at Givenchy". The Guardian.
  11. Friedman, Vanessa (19 May 2018). "Meghan Markle's Wedding Dress by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy: First Photos". The New York Times.
  12. Ferrier, Morwenna (1 July 2018). "Clare Waight Keller's second Givenchy couture show celebrates its founder's legacy". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  13. "Clare Waight Keller Is Staging Her First Stand-Alone Givenchy Menswear Show—Here's What to Expect". 16 January 2019.
  14. Salter, Steve; White, Ryan (17 January 2019). "clare waight keller gave us 'perverse posh' menswear at givenchy". I-D. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  15. Elan, Priya (10 April 2020). "Clare Waight Keller, Meghan's wedding dress designer, leaves Givenchy". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  16. Phelps, Nicole (16 August 2023). "Clare Waight Keller, of Givenchy and Chloé Fame, Is the Designer Behind Uniqlo's Newest Label". Vogue. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  17. "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, honors Clare Waight Keller in surprise awards appearance". CNN Style. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  18. Staff, C. N. N. (11 December 2018). "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, honors Clare Waight Keller in surprise awards appearance". CNN Style. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  19. "Time 100 Most Influential People 2019". Time. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  20. Levine, Joshua (28 March 2016). "Designing Beyond Chloé: Inside Clare Waight Keller's Parisian Home". Wall Street Journal.
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