This weekend brought the news that British designer Clare Waight Keller is stepping down from her role as artistic director at Givenchy after just three years.
Look through the photo gallery above to see the designer's 20 top runway moments.
The first woman to lead the house
She was previously at the helm of Pringle of Scotland and Chloe, but this cool yet accessible designer made history when she was chosen as the first woman to lead the storied French house in 2017, taking over from Riccardo Tisci. It was a moment she highlighted in the statement announcing her departure.
“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,” she explained.
Waight Keller is the fifth Brit to have led the house, following in the footsteps of John Galliano, who took over when founder Hubert de Givenchy retired in 1995, then Alexander McQueen, who was head from 1996 to 2001. He, in turn, was replaced by Julien Macdonald, who headed womenswear, including haute couture, from 2001 to 2005, and Ozwald Boateng for menswear during the years 2003 to 2006.
Tisci then took over until Waight Keller’s appointment in 2017.
What makes her tenure even more extraordinary is that she is also the only designer who actually met Mr Givenchy in person, and received his blessings for the role.
An 'innate sense of elegance'
Sidney Toledano, head parent company LVMH, said that under the designer's creative leadership, "the maison reconnected with the founding values of Hubert de Givenchy and his innate sense of elegance”.
Waight Keller worked hard to bring a new sensibility to the storied house, tilting Givenchy chic towards the needs of the modern woman, namely clothes that worked as well on the dance floor as in the boardroom. She brought in a new era of cool, which had women clamouring to wear her sophisticated but wearable take on French style.
However, her tenure will probably best be remembered for her relationship with Meghan Markle. Waight Keller famously created Markle’s wedding dress in 2018, with its subtle nod to the Duchess's actress background; the simple boat neck alluded to fellow actress Audrey Hepburn, who was Mr Givenchy's muse for many years.
Stripped entirely of frippery, the only adornment on the gown was on the 16-foot veil, which was decorated with flowers from all 53 countries of the Commonwealth. That piece alone took a reported 500 hours to complete.
As the new Duchess continued to wear Givenchy, it quickly became clear that the two women had built a rapport that went beyond the normal client-designer relationship. This was seen when Waight Keller was awarded British Designer of the Year in 2018 and Markle made a surprise appearance – wearing a one-shouldered Givenchy gown that showed off her burgeoning baby bump to perfection – to present the trophy.
A bold new take on couture
As artistic head, she was also responsible for haute couture. This is a demanding role at the best of times, but when she took over, she found herself facing a hostile French press, which declared she was not up to the task.
Yet, her debut couture collection was strong, elegant and incredibly beautiful – and silenced her critics.
Soon enough, Waight Keller was bravely blurring the lines between couture and ready-to-wear, bringing flounces of feathers into everyday collections.
She also saw little distinction between genders, famously putting female models into men's suits for the spring 2020 menswear show.
For spring / summer 2020, Waight Keller also sent humble denim down the runway, and constantly challenged our notions of how colours and patterns should be mixed. Because of all this, her tenure at Givenchy will surely be a tough act to follow.
"Focusing on a world based on haute couture has been one of the highlights of my professional journey," Waight Keller said in her leaving statement. "I have shared so many incredible moments with the brilliant Givenchy ateliers and design teams: your exceptional talent and dedication will forever remain in my memories.”
As we wait to learn where she goes next and who will replace her at the venerable French house, one thing is clear – her female-friendly, light touch will be missed.
