Givenchy has announced Clare Waight Keller as Riccardo Tisci’s successor for creative director, Business of Fashion reports. She marks the first female designer to hold the post. Tisci left the brand in February after 12 years at the French fashion house. Similarly, Waight Keller stepped down as creative director of Chloé in January, after six years in the position. Her successor, Louis Vuitton’s Natacha Ramsay-Levi, was announced just last week.
Givenchy made the official announcement late last night on Instagram with a headshot of the designer. “2017. CLARE WAIGHT KELLER. NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR,” the caption reads.
2017. CLARE WAIGHT KELLER. NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR. SHOT BY STEVEN MEISEL.
A post shared by GIVENCHY (@givenchyofficial) on
BoF notes that this changing of the guard may herald a “dramatic shift” for Givenchy. The celebrity-friendly brand, favoured by hip-hop stars and the Kardashians, has seen bold collections under Tisci’s tenure that featured embellishments, graphic designs and sportswear-inspired pieces. Waight Keller’s romantic, breezy silhouettes popularized at Chloé and strong suit in accessories (as told by the brand’s street-style-friendly Nile, Faye and Drew bags) will add an interesting mix to the label. The designer has no previous experience in haute couture, BoF notes.
Before Givenchy announced Waight Keller’s appointment, rumours circulated that Off-White’s Virgil Abloh would creative direct, but the brand soon shut that down. Due to Tisci’s exit, the French label did not stage a runway show this Paris Fashion Week. BoF reports that Waight Keller’s first collection for Givenchy will be presented in October in Paris, for Spring/Summer 2018, though the label has not yet commented.
This article originally appeared on Harper’s BAZAAR US
