Clare Waight Keller, the first woman to helm the house of Givenchy, is stepping back from her position as artistic director.
Today, the brand confirmed that after three years in the position, Waight Keller's final collection for Givenchy will be the womenswear show held just a few weeks ago on March 1.
"As the first woman to be the Artistic Director of this legendary Maison, I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to cherish its legacy and bring it new life," Waight Keller said in a statement.
"Focusing on a world based on Haute Couture has been one of the highlights of my professional journey."
She also paid tribute to those behind the scenes who have helped to make her time as the artistic director of the brand a success.
"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. My heartfelt thanks go out to each of the unsung heroes and heroines behind the scenes, for their contribution from product to communications and retail, and every global team member, partner and supplier in between," she said.
"Without all of you, I could not have brought my vision for Givenchy to life in such a beautiful way."
Waight Keller's time at Givenchy will most likely be remembered for her association with the Duchess of Sussex. Memorably, Waight Keller dressed Meghan Markle on her wedding day to Prince Harry in a gown with a simple bateau neckline.
"I had a very clear vision of what I wanted for the day, and what I wanted the dress to look like," Meghan later said of her bridal aesthetic. "So what was amazing in working with Clare is that sometimes you'll find designers try to push you in a different direction, but she just completely respected what I wanted to see for the day, and she wanted to bring that to life for me."
The pair continued their collaboration throughout Meghan's time as a working royal, and in December of 2018, Meghan surprised Waight Keller by presenting her with an honor at the British Fashion Awards.
"I feel especially proud to announce tonight's winner who yes, is a British designer leading on the global stage with vision and creativity but also with incredible kindness, which is why when I met her for the first time 11 months ago, I knew that we'd be working very closely together. The winner this evening is Clare Waight Keller," Meghan said.
The Duchess's appearance touched Waight Keller.
"I suppose it showed a lot of people how deep our friendship had got," Waight Keller later said of the awards. "It was extremely kind of her to do that because she didn’t have to, obviously, but she chose to do it, which I thought just shows her level of thought and emotion about people, how much she values people and feels for them."
Per WWD, Givenchy "will announce a new 'creative organization' at a later date." The coronavirus crisis has caused the brand to cancel its women's pre-spring collection, and according to the publication, it also forgo a Fall 2020 couture collection.
As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects
