Is fashion entering a new Golden Age for women designers?
On Thursday, Givenchy confirmed that Clare Waight Keller would become its first female couturier, thrusting the former Chloé designer into the haute spotlight.
The appointment echoes Dior’s last year of its first female couturier, Maria Grazia Chiuri, and Lanvin’s decision to put Bouchra Jarrar at the creative helm. What’s more, Jil Sander plans to soon name Lucie Meier, an alum of Dior, the head of its women’s studio, according to market sources.
Waight Keller staged her swan song for Chloé on March 2, with Nicolas Ghesquière’s longtime deputy Natacha Ramsay-Levi succeeding her at a brand that has in the recent past been overseen by a series of prominent female designers, including Phoebe Philo and Stella McCartney.
Givenchy chief executive officer Philippe Fortunato said Waight Keller would show her first collection for the house during Paris Fashion Week in October and that her mission is to propel the legacy of the 65-year-old brand even further into the modern era.
The British designer joined Chloé in 2011 after a six-year stint designing Pringle of Scotland. A calm, soft-spoken woman with a ready smile, Waight Keller brought a sure and steady hand to the house, rejuvenating its ready-to-wear
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