Clare Waight Keller has been announced as Givenchy’s new artistic director. She has been brought on to replace Italian designer Riccardo Tisci, who resigned in January.
If you are wondering: "Who?" – you are not alone, because despite having a stellar career, Waight Keller is a name that relatively few people have heard of. However, the British designer has been making her mark on the fashion world with a three-decade-long career that took her from Calvin Klein to Chloé.
Waight Keller started her career in the 1990s, when Calvin Klein hired her straight from her graduation show from the Royal Collage of Art in London. Four years later, she moved to Ralph Lauren, as senior menswear designer for the Purple Label (where she honed her tailoring skills), and in 2000 she was poached by Tom Ford to join him at Gucci.
In 2005, Waight Keller became creative director of Pringle of Scotland, and in May 2011 she was named as creative director at Chloé, succeeding Hannah MacGibbon. Her time at Chloé saw a continuation of the upscale 1970s aesthetic the house is known for, and her collections were wildly popular with both critics and customers alike.
As the new head of Givenchy, Waight Keller will be responsible for the men's and women's ready-to-wear and accessories collections, as well as haute couture.
Her new appointment at Givenchy marks the first time a woman has been given the role, and alongside Christian Dior's Maria Grazia Chiuri, makes her the second woman to head up a major LVMH fashion house.
Speaking to Vogue, Bernard Arnault, the chief executive of parent company LVMH said of Waight Keller: "I believe her widespread expertise and vision will allow Givenchy to enter the next phase of its unique path," he said. "I am very much looking forward to her contribution to the maison's continued success."
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