Clare Waight Keller moves easily from royal gowns to Uniqlo

The British designer of Meghan Markle’s wedding dress finds a different kind of luxury at the mass market brand

NEW YORK-In September, standing in a sunny Manhattan studio among racks of clothes, Clare Waight Keller was back in her element.

The British fashion designer, perhaps best known as the designer of British royal Meghan Markle's wedding gown, had arrived from London to reveal her latest Uniqlo: C capsule collection and to announce her role as the Japanese clothing brand's new creative director.

At a moment when luxury fashion is trending towards an economic downturn, Waight Keller is betting on a brand known for affordable, high-quality layers that are wardrobe staples.

She wore an all-grey ensemble of straight-leg trousers and a wool knit blazer from Uniqlo. As she walked the news media through her capsule collection - a concise line-up of US$25 (S$33) cashmereblend knits in soft shades of loden and moss, and US$60 pants in suiting fabric bolstered this time with Uniqlo: C's first menswear capsule, her ease reflected her long career in the industry.

Till 2020, she had been the creative director at French luxury fashion house Givenchy. She was the first woman to hold the job there.

Her collections, favoured by the likes of Hollywood actresses Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore and Gal Gadot, mixed a streamlined and modern aesthetic with precise and purposeful tailoring.

In 2018, Waight Keller's first couture collection for Givenchy was critically acclaimed. Then came the double-bonded silk cady gown with a bateau neckline, worn by Markle for her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

Now, Waight Keller's role is to design trend-proof and democratically priced basics for a mostly ageless demographic.

As Uniqlo's creative director, she oversees mainline collections for men and women, working primarily with teams in London and New York, where Uniqlo's SoHo flagship plunked down in 2006.