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Clare Waight Keller
British stylist and fashion designer (born 1970) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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]
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Early life and education
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]
In 2024, Waight Keller collaborated with the luxury resale platform ReSee as part of their Seller Series, where she emphasized her long-standing commitment to fashion circularity. She expressed support for the rewearing of well-made garments and the relevance of vintage fashion in contemporary design. "Clare has long been an advocate for circularity in fashion, frequently drawing from vintage references and encouraging the rewearing of beautifully made clothes."[20]
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.[21][22][23]
In 2019, Time magazine included Keller in its annual list of the most influential people of the year.[24]
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Personal life
She is married to Philip Keller, an architect. They have three children, twins Amelia and Charlotte, and Harrison.[25]
References
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