Clare Waight Keller leaves Givenchy after three years as artistic director

British designer was brand’s first female artistic director

Clare Waight Keller departs Givenchy (Getty)

Clare Waight Keller is leaving her role as artistic director of Givenchy after three years.

The departure of the British designer, who created Meghan Markle’s wedding gown, was announced on Friday.

“After three truly wonderful years, the time has come to close my chapter at Givenchy,” Waight Keller wrote in a statement shared to Instagram. “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.”

Continuing, Waight Keller called the opportunity one of the “highlights of my professional journey”, and said that the “exceptional talent and dedication” of Givenchy ateliers and design teams would “forever remain” in her memories.

The designer also thanked the “unsung heroes and heroines” behind the scenes of the fashion industry for their help and contributions during her time at the French fashion house.

“Without all of you, I could not have brought my vision for Givenchy to life in such a beautiful way,” she said.

The stylist’s last collection for the fashion house was the fall 2020 women’s ready-to-wear, which was shown in Paris on 1 March, according to WWD, with her departure coming at the end of her initial contract with Givenchy.

In a statement, Givenchy, which is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury goods company, said it wanted to “warmly thank Clare Waight Keller for her creative leadership, in contribution to our latest chapter”.

“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,” Sidney Toledano, chairman and CEO of LVMH Fashion Group, said. “I wish Clare all the best in her future endeavours.”

Waight Keller, who was the first woman to lead the fashion house since its inception in 1952, has been in the role since March 2017, during which time she won the British designer of the year award for women’s wear at the 2018 Fashion Awards in London.

As of now, a successor has not been named, with the luxury fashion brand stating it would announce a new “creative organisation” at a later date.