On Monday night, actress Rebel Wilson wore a little black dress with lace trim to the annual InStyle Awards in Los Angeles. This was not your average LBD, though. The look was custom-made by fashion designer Clare Waight Keller at the house of Givenchy, a luxury indulged most often by Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. This was also the first time Keller designed plus-size couture for Givenchy.
“I think the last big couture piece that Clare Waight Keller did was Meghan Markle’s wedding dress,” Wilson told People magazine on the red carpet Monday night. “And now she’s making me a dress so that’s kind of amazing just in and of itself.”
But in addition to getting the Meghan Markle treatment, Wilson was also happy to see a luxury brand making an effort to extend its size range. “The fact that it’s Givenchy — an amazing Paris fashion house — I’m a bit shocked how it all happened but really grateful,” Wilson continued. “I think it’s a really cool move that they’re being inclusive with someone like me.”
It was Wilson’s all-star stylist, Elizabeth Stewart who helped bring the look to life with Givenchy. Stewart, who also dresses celebrities like Viola Davis, Cate Blanchett, and Jessica Chastain, was presented with the Stylist of the Year award on Monday night by another one of her clients, Julia Roberts. (Roberts also happened to cover the latest issue of InStyle magazine.)
Stewart reportedly told Wilson that her Givenchy dress was a “massive deal,” and that she’d never heard of the brand making a plus-size couture dress before. (The Cut confirmed that this was Keller’s first plus-size couture dress for Givenchy.) This was also the first time Keller worked with Wilson. “We asked for a dress with the classic Audrey Hepburn vibe, and Clare sent the perfect sketch,” Stewart told People.
Naturally, Wilson and Keller hit it off, and Keller made a dress for her that was both comfortable and flattering — a “really hard balance for someone who’s plus-size,” according to Wilson. But, as Wilson said herself, she is “the average size and the average height of an American woman.” And with that in mind, plus-size couture shouldn’t have to be a massive deal.
“I do hope this inspires more fashion houses to create looks for all sizes,” added Stewart. So, a step in the right direction.
This post has been updated throughout.