“The world gasped when they saw that bride, and everyone wanted to know who had made that dress,” actor Julianne Moore wrote in a tribute to Waight Keller for the TIME 100 issue. The ceilings are high and there’s a lot of natural light, but I can’t find messy mood boards, samples of fabrics, or crumbling piles of photography books on site.
He had on the wall his Picassos, his Matisses, and all distilled an exquisite taste. “The last time there was a royal wedding there was no Instagram, really, or any of those huge social networks.
He was quite old at that point, and I met him in the main room, surrounded by the amazing art he always collected. “I think they do but it’s more their friends telling them.
So it really took me aback, actually.”“The idea of that purity was just really modern,” Keller continued. It was truly spectacular and beautiful. I’m not someone who’s recognized on the street, I mean, no one is going to say, ‘Oh, there she is!’ I’m still quite incognito,” she smiles. I didn’t realize it at the time, but even though it was home-made, it had all the elements of an atelier. “I had no idea how momentous it was going be,” Keller said. If many times creative geniuses seem to find their inspiration in the middle of the chaos, this is not the case here.From her encounter with monsieur Givenchy, the designer remembers the icon as a tall, elegant man, who was not shy to share his views on the growing importance of China, his still ongoing exhibitions at the time, and the strong relationship with muse Audrey Hepburn, who will always be remembered wearing a black Givenchy cocktail dress in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. “I had the pleasure to visit his house, the one you see in books. It wasn’t just about a few dresses here and there. “I think he was incredibly thrilled with the fact that I was going to restart couture as a business. Photographed by Alex Blonde for Vogue Arabia September 2019Coming from a family that was “not well-off at all,” going for a fashion degree instead of a more classic and stable job was a leap of faith – yet one that clearly paid off.
You just know what’s annoying and what’s great.”Waight Keller’s love of fashion started in her early years.
“I think it was right for now, and it was right for her.”Actress Julianne Moore, who attended the gala with Keller on Tuesday, centered her tribute for the Time 100 issue on that dress. Fashion / News / Interview with Clare Waight Keller.
“I’m test-driving it at the moment,” she mentions with a smile. Since becoming Givenchy’s first female creative director, Clare Waight Keller has done far more than dress a duchess—she’s tried on change and finds it fits just fine. Clare Waight (Keller is her American husband’s name) grew up in a semi in Birmingham where her mother’s ‘atelier’ – the kitchen, that is – was always in full swing, the sewing machine a permanent fixture on the table, the ironing board in the hall. Montmarin Embroidered Crop Cape, Embroidered Cage Dress. “I’m constantly commenting on things, saying, ‘This is too big,’ ‘This doesn’t feel right in my hand,’ so I’m able as a woman to give very informed notes about how something should feel. All rights reserved. The 41-year-old Royal College of Art grad who has worked for labels such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Gucci, and, most recently, headed the luxury knitwear brand Pringle of Scotland, joined Chloé in June 2011, and in her brief tenure thus far, has already brought new life to the brand. Photographed by Alex Blonde for Vogue Arabia September 2019© 2020 Nervora Fashion, Inc. and Condé Nast International. For him, that was where he founded his house and where he was the happiest.”Chaumont Mille-Feuille Cage Dress by Givenchy. I learned from her how to pin pants, how to take measurements properly, and how to stitch seams. Courtesy of GivenchyPetit Bois Tree of Life Sleeveless Peplum Jacket, Crown with Crystals. October 15, 2018 6:30 AM. Slowly I became a part of it, too.”Epernon Cape Jacket Embroidered In Pallettes And Sequins, Cage Skirt and Stiletto Boots. “My mom would always be around the house making things. But, tricks of the trade, I also spot a bag on the chair that I can’t recognize from any of her past Givenchy collections. I learned that from her,” she confides.
Even if he had opulent fabrics on his sofas and lamps, he had a lot of modern art,” the designer remembers. Photographed by Alex Blonde for Vogue Arabia September 2019Before we end our conversation and I run to my next fashion week appointment, I ask if her twin daughters and baby boy understand what Mommy does, and her important contribution to the world of fashion.