Meghan Markle's wedding dress designer takes over fashion's favourite affordable brand
This week, Claire Waight Keller was announced as the new Creative Director of Japanese fashion giant Uniqlo.
The acclaimed British designer has held prestigious posts at numerous luxury brands prior to her new position, including Pringles of Scotland, Chloé, and Givenchy - where she famously created the Duchess of Sussex's showstopping wedding dress for her nuptials to Prince Harry in May 2018.
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Uniqlo shared the news via an Instagram post explaining: "Today we announce the appointment of Clare Waight Keller as Creative Director of UNIQLO. Continuing in her capacity as designer of the UNIQLO : C collection, Clare will now lead the UNIQLO main line collections for men and women starting with Fall/Winter 2024."
Claire has been working with Uniqlo since 2022, on the brand's Uniqlo: C label - a collection of elevated essentials that infuse her penchant for modern elegance with Uniqlo's signature fashion-forward must-have basics.
Claire said of the new role: “Working with UNIQLO over these past two years, I have been hugely impressed by their innovation and ability to create exceptional products. Working with the team, I became deeply immersed in the brand and the future they are creating. It is very exciting and an honor for me to be involved in the evolution of LifeWear.”
In 2018, Meghan stunned royal fashion fans and sartorial experts alike, with her wedding dress that featured her go-to off-the-shoulder silhouette and elegant mid-length sleeves, paired with an exquisitely embroidered five-metre-long veil which bore the national flowers of all 53 commonwealth states.
Claire spoke of the design process on the couple's Netflix series Meghan & Harry, explaining: “Looking at the design of the dress there were many conversations we had over how you want to present yourself to the world. I mean most of us have a wedding with, you know, 70 to 200 people. This was billions of people watching this wedding.” Clare then chuckles at the incredulousness of the situation Meghan found herself facing as she walked down the aisle.
“It has to be flawless, it has to be perfect,” she continued: “The whole ceremony was something quite unique. A gospel choir. That had never been part of a royal wedding before."
We can't Waight to see how Claire's new role impacts the Uniqlo brand...
