The fashion industry woke up to startling news on April 10 as Givenchy announced the departure of its artistic director Clare Waight Keller.
The former Pringle of Scotland and Chloe designer was the first female artistic director to have held the role within the fashion house, where she spent three years working for the iconic luxury brand.
Famous for designing the wedding dress of the former Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle - a simple yet memorable design with a wide boat neck, long sleeves and sculpted silhouette gained international praise and recognition (and was reminiscent of Hubert de Givenchy’s creations for Audrey Hepburn, particularly one dres in 1957’s Funny Face) - it is unclear why Clare departed the house at such an uncertain and unstable time.
“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 said, in her closing remarks.
She reintroduced couture to the Maison with her unpredictable and exuberant designs, often combining unexpected genres and textures such as tradition with modernity and lace with latex. She was also the winner of the British Designer of the Year Award in 2018.
“Under her creative leadership, and in great collaboration with its ateliers and teams, the Maison reconnected with the founding values of Hubert de Givenchy and his innate sense of elegance,” Chairman and CEO of LVMH Sidney Toledano said in a statement.
The company announced that the new creative director will be “communicated at a later date.”
Lead image courtesy of Jason Lloyd Evans/ Givenchy AW 20' Collection
