After three years, Clare Waight Keller, the designer behind Meghan Markle‘s royal wedding dress, has stepped down as artistic director of French fashion house Givenchy.
Waight Keller, a British native, announced her resignation on Instagram on Friday, highlighting what she has been thankful for and all that she is looking forward to in the future.
“From the heart ♥️ After three truly wonderful years, the time has come to close my chapter at Givenchy,” the post was captioned. “As the first woman to be the Artistic Director of this legendary Maison, I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to cherish its legacy and bring it new life.”
On the same day, Givenchy’s official Instagram account also made the announcement that Waight Keller, 49, and the luxury fashion house have ended their collaboration.
“I want to warmly thank Clare Waight Keller for her contribution to Givenchy’s latest chapter,” Sidney Toledano, Chairman and CEO of LVMH (Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton) Fashion Group, the conglomerate which owns Givenchy, said in the statement. “Under her creative leadership, and in great collaboration with its ateliers and teams, the Maison reconnected with the founding values of Hubert de Givenchy and his innate sense of elegance. I wish Clare all the best in her future endeavors.”
Waight Keller made headlines a little over a year into her tenure when Meghan Markle, 38, approached her to design the now-famous gown for her wedding to Prince Harry, 35, in 2018. The fashion designer and Duchess of Sussex spent six months crafting the boat neck, long-sleeved dress complete with a 16-foot long veil.
The designer continued to support Prince Harry and Meghan through her Instagram, posting half a dozen pictures of the couple on their wedding day and even uploading a photo of Meghan and Harry on their royal tour of New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Tonga (with Meghan wearing full-on Givenchy!) to congratulate the new parents on their arrival of Archie.
In one Instagram, Waight Keller noted that being an integral part of Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry “will truly be the most memorable moment” in her career.
And Meghan’s wedding gown only marked the first of many chic Givenchy ensembles to come, as the duchess continued to support Waight Keller by sporting her designs often, making Givenchy one of Meghan’s favorite go-to brands.
From Meghan’s first royal Ascot to attending her first solo engagement at the Royal Academy of Art in London to watching Wimbledon matches with her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, she continued to stun in Givenchy creations.
In a surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards in December 2018, it was fitting that Meghan, who presented the British Designer of the Year Womenswear Award to Waight Keller, wore a sleek, black one-shouldered Givenchy dress for the occasion.
To celebrate the special moment, Waight Keller took to Instagram to affirm her admiration for Meghan.
“The ultimate surprise – the very special moment that I discovered #meghanmarkle #duchessofsussex was going to give me the award for Womenswear Designer of the Year,” the caption said. “Such an extraordinary moment of emotion and love for this amazing woman who changed my life 🖤 thank you @givenchyofficial.”
LVMH has not yet announced who will be succeeding Waight Keller as artistic director.