Ex-Givenchy Designer Clare Waight Keller Is Now a UNIQLO Designer
Clare Waight Keller might be lying low, but that doesn't mean she isn't booked and busy. The ex-creative director of Givenchy, who departed the brand in 2020, has finally announced her next step: a dedicated UNIQLO collection.
Waight Keller announced the partnership on August 16 in an interview, confirming that her new UNIQLO line, UNIQLO:C, will launch its debut womenswear collection on September 15 on UNIQLO's website and stores.
Waight Keller joined Givenchy as creative director in 2017, becoming the first woman to lead the house since its inception in 1952. Taking the reins from Riccardo Tisci, Waight Keller introduced a new look for the house, one that departed from Tisci's dark, sexy sensibility.
Her UNIQLO:C collection keeps in line with that attitude, emphasizing bright colors and loose, easy cuts with the most affordable prices of Waight Keller's career.
A defining moment of her tenure at Givenchy, Waight Keller designed Meghan Markle's wedding dress, a gown that would captivate onlookers and press from the moment it made its debut. Waight Keller's time at the label was marked by several other major accomplishments: She brought Givenchy Couture back to the runway, recruited Ariana Grande as the face of the brand in 2019, and dressed scores of high-profile celebrities (Zendaya, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, etc.) for red carpet appearances.
Since stepping down from her role in 2017, Waight Keller has maintained a low profile. News of her potential collaboration with UNIQLO follows the Japanese retailer's most recent team-up with JW Anderson, as well as a colorful collection made with Marni.
A spokesman for UNIQLO's parent company, Fast Retailing Co., first told WWD that it "cannot confirm any new projects or collections at this time" when asked about the Clare Waight Keller collection in May 2023, though anonymous sources affirmed that the collection would launch in Fall.
Not that UNIQLO necessarily needs designer help to succeed: its $20 Round Mini Shoulder Bag became a viral favorite on TikTok and subsequently topped LYST's quarterly ranking of the world's most-searched fashion items.
This article was published May 22, 2023 and updated on August 16.
