The first woman to take the helm at Givenchy, Clare Waight Keller introduced her refined masculine-meets-feminine elegance to ready-to-wear, revived the exuberance of haute couture and designed one of the most iconic wedding dresses of the decade.
Now, as Waight Keller’s three tenure as artistic director of Givenchy comes to an end, we look back at her standout designs for the French heritage house, as featured in MOJEH.
“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 revealed in a statement, after it was announced that the British designer was leaving the house of Givenchy.
Waight Keller, who succeeded Riccardo Tisci as artistic director of Givenchy in 2017 after a six year stint at Chloé, united the men’s and women’s collections with a focus on timeless tailoring and impeccable craftsmanship which favoured founder Hubert de Givenchy’s less-is-more design approach.
For spring/summer 2020, Waight Keller contrasted nineties minimalism — think upcycled denim jeans, neutral toned bralettes and elongated blazers — with flouncy floral prints that worked best on summer dresses and lively, voluminous separates.
While the autumn/winter 2020 presentation (Waight Keller’s final show for the house) displayed more formal attire with the emphasis back on tailoring; there were strong shoulders, double-breasted jackets, evening caped coats and feather adorned floor-length dresses.
Of course, Clare Waight Keller’s will always be remembered for designing the former Duchess of Sussex’s Givenchy wedding gown and for her impact on the red carpet; with a celebrity clientele that included Meryl Streep, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.
However, Waight Keller’s most noteworthy designs for Givenchy came courtesy of her haute couture collections. Marking her first foray into couture, the designer developed a statement-making, yet streamlined style that blended heritage with modernity.
Playing with whimsical 3D floral structures, sculptural millenary and layered lace gowns, Waight Keller often delved into the Givenchy archives for inspiration — which was then entwined with her signature trouser suits and elegant coats that we can expect to see in a new light when Waight Keller announces her next position in fashion.
