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Clare Waight Keller

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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]2024

Clare Waight Keller
Born
Clare Waight

(1970-08-19) 19 August 1970 (age 54)
Birmingham, England
Education
OccupationFashion designer
SpousePhilip Keller
Children3

Early life and education

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

Career

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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] The final purpose of the collection was to commemorate the legacy of the house’s founder, Hubert de Givenchy. The show occurred at the Archives Nationales in Paris.[13] Guests received a copy of a book with the house’s archival designs, including images of Givenchy’s muse and creative partner, Audrey Hepburn.[14] The opening design of the collection directly homages Givenchy's column dress created for Audrey.[13] Waight also reinterpreted the iconic black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and even closed the show with the song, “Moon River.” [15]Despite being a commemorative collection, Waight Keller modernized Givenchy’s classic designs with innovative cuts and materials. She also introduced structured, asymmetrical silhouettes and luxurious yet minimalist elements.[14]

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.[16][17]

She left Givenchy on 10 April 2020.[18]

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.[19]

Awards and honours

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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.[20][21][22]

In 2019, Time magazine included Keller in its annual list of the most influential people of the year.[23]

Personal life

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She is married to Philip Keller, an architect. They have three children, twins Amelia and Charlotte, and Harrison.[24]

References

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  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. ^ a b Niven, Lisa (24 March 2009). "Clare Waight Keller". Vogue.
  6. ^ "Clare Waight Keller". Business of Fashion. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  7. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Friedman, Vanessa. "Moving the goal posts in fashion". The New York Times.
  14. ^ a b Fogg, Marnie; Steele, Valerie (2019). Moda: Toda la Historia [Fashion: The Whole Story] (in Spanish) (2nd ed.). Barcelona: Blume. pp. 514–515. ISBN 978-84-17757-823.
  15. ^ "Audrey Hepburn's Iconic 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' LBD Gets a Couture Update at Givenchy". ELLE. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  16. ^ "Clare Waight Keller Is Staging Her First Stand-Alone Givenchy Menswear Show—Here's What to Expect". 16 January 2019.
  17. ^ Salter, Steve; White, Ryan (17 January 2019). "clare waight keller gave us 'perverse posh' menswear at givenchy". I-D. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  18. ^ Elan, Priya (10 April 2020). "Clare Waight Keller, Meghan's wedding dress designer, leaves Givenchy". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, honors Clare Waight Keller in surprise awards appearance". CNN Style. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ "Qui sont les grands vainqueurs des British Fashion Awards 2018 ?". Numéro Magazine. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Time 100 Most Influential People 2019". Time. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  24. ^ Levine, Joshua (28 March 2016). "Designing Beyond Chloé: Inside Clare Waight Keller's Parisian Home". Wall Street Journal.
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