At the beginning of April, as the fashion industry was reeling from the effects of the coronavirus, designer Clare Waight Keller quietly announced that she would be stepping down from her role as the artistic director of Givenchy. Waight Keller was the first woman to ever hold the title at the historic French house, and she filled the role for a brief but impactful three years.
During her time with the brand, Waight Keller was particularly proud of her couture collections, but she also fostered important friendships with big names like Meghan Markle, who wore a Givenchy gown for her wedding to Prince Harry. That sleeveless, nearly seamless dress perfectly embodied what she set out to do at the house, which was pay tribute to Hubert de Givenchy’s vision while modernizing it and making it her own. There is a quiet ease to Waight Keller — both the person and her work. She has the ability to convey natural beauty in a way that feels elegant and expensive but never flashy, and, most importantly, she also imbues everything with a sense of feminine strength.
In the case of these slip-on mules from one of her her last collections for Givenchy, the pale, soft leather front contrasts with a sturdy, columnlike wood heel. They might be a bit much for a royal, but you could easily picture Markle wearing them as she settles into her new, post-royal life.
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