It is the fashion news of the day: Clare Waight Keller is departing Givenchy after three years at the helm of the famous French house. It was the first woman to achieve this, leaving a track record of memorable red carpet moments.
She dressed the most talented actresses in the world, from Meryl Streep to Julianne Moore, and the queen of the red carpet, who consistently looks stunning, Cate Blanchett.
But the highest moment for the British designer while at Givenchy was undoubtedly designing the wedding dress for Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, in 2018.
This led to much international acclaim and recognition. It was a fine balance between respecting the brand's heritage and modernity, while also capturing the Duchess's personal style.
Waight Keller met Hubert de Givenchy himself before his death, and is renowned for bringing back couture to the iconic fashion house. Some of the most beautiful dresses she designed for Givenchy are from couture collections.
"As the first woman to be the Artistic Director of this legendary Maison, I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to cherish its legacy and bring it new life.” Clare Waight Keller
The cause for her departure is unknown, creative directors don't tend to stay too long. Is it the pressure of delivering more and more collections per year? Are the figures not going up? After all, fashion is a business and those who have most power are businessmen.
Creativity needs time to mature and the first collections of an artistic director in a prestigious fashion house tend to be an adjusting act of finding one's feet. It's a shame fashion can be so ruthless, there's simply no room for real growth to occur.
My top 10 dresses by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy
Comments