Clare Waight Keller has ended her three-year stay at Givenchy as the fashion brand’s artistic director.
In a lengthy post on her Instagram handle, Waight announced her exit saying, “After three truly wonderful years, the time has come to close my chapter at Givenchy. 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.”
Pushing beyond her predecessors after taking over in 2017, Waight delivered a star power clientele list that included Beyoncé and Jay Z, Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie, Gal Gadot, Chadwick Bossman, Ariana Grande and her fellow fashion designer Marc Jacobs.
Despite winning the British designer of the year womenswear category at the Fashion Awards, Waight’s highest accomplishment over the past three years at Givenchy is ultimately attributed to her making of the Duchess Sussex’s wedding gown in 2018. A relationship which extended beyond the gown making to becoming the go-to designer for some of the Duchess’ royal engagement outfits.
Thanks to her impressive delivery with haute couture pieces, Waight was featured in Time 100 annual list in 2019. Her bio for the article was written by Oscar winning actress Julianne Moore, who described her work, “We are drawn to Clare’s work because she doesn’t design from the outside in, she designs from the inside out. From the place of pinning clothes on a body.”
“She is a very talented designer and a lovely person who I thought brought a lot to Givenchy, but this is a time when everyone is rethinking and re-examining what is best,” said Anna Wintour, the artistic director of Condé Nast and editor-in-chief of Vogue. “I am sure she will rebound.”
“Under her creative leadership…the Maison reconnected with the founding values of Hubert de Givenchy and his innate sense of elegance,” said Sidney Toledano, the head of the LVMH group, which owns Givenchy.
Before Givenchy, Waight was creative director at Pringle of Scotland and Chloe. She is yet to announce her next big move, so is Givenchy, which is yet to name a new lead for the brand.
By: Larry Adams
