Givenchy is parting ways with artistic director Clare Waight Keller, the woman who designed, and then was accused of stealing the design for, Meghan Markle’s wedding gown.
In an announcement published in WWD, Keller’s three-year tenure at the fashion house is described as a “stint,” which seems kind of off to me because three years is longer than I’ve ever stayed at one single job in my entire life, but hey, I’m not a fashion girl so what do I know! Maybe three years is a flash in the pan in the fashion world but, considering that Givenchy is currently selling a $790 Disney graphic tee, maybe three years is exactly the appropriate amount of time.
In college, I really thought fashion was going to be my thing, and I voraciously consumed every edgy glossy I could get my hands on. I even saw The September Issue in theaters when it came out, which really made me feel like That Girl at the time. However, in subsequent years, I’ve all but lost touch with those particular interests and as such was devastatingly uninformed about the significance of Keller’s appointment.
Thankfully, this NTY writeup has told me everything I need to know! Keller was the first woman to hold the artistic director position at Givenchy, which I love, and she also “united the men’s and women’s collections, reintroduced couture and courted a celebrity clientele that included Gal Gadot and Chadwick Boseman.” After watching no fewer than four seasons of the original Project Runway, I can say with certainty that reintroducing couture is no small undertaking, so, go absolutely all the way off Clare Waight Keller, I salute you.
For now, the split is being described as “mutual” which is a word I’ve been taught not to trust because I’ve typically found that people tend to mean the exact opposite when it’s employed, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see if anything juicy comes out of the woodwork over the next few months, or when her replacement is found. “I am sure she will rebound,” said Anna Wintour, talking to the Times, after saying she thought Keller “brought a lot to Givenchy, but this is a time when everyone is rethinking and re-examining what is best.” That doesn’t sound exactly mutual to me, but again, maybe this is just fashion jargon I don’t understand!
In honor of Keller, here are a few looks from her final runway for Givenchy’s fall/winter 2020 show during Paris Fashion Week.
Feathers!
Giant scarf!
Gloves!
Gloves with a huge bag!
Tassels!
And this!
