Clare Waight Keller
Creative director of Uniqlo since 2024
Clare Waight Keller is a British designer who became Uniqlo's first creative director in 2024 after leading Pringle of Scotland, Chloé and Givenchy. Her move from luxury houses to the world's leading casualwear retailer is a significant example of high fashion talent shaping mass-market apparel.
| Role | Creative director, Uniqlo |
|---|---|
| Since | September 2024 |
| Previously | Givenchy (2017 to 2020), Chloé (2011 to 2017), Pringle of Scotland (2005 to 2011) |
| Born | 1970, Birmingham |
| Nationality | British |
Who is Clare Waight Keller?
Clare Waight Keller is a British fashion designer, born in Birmingham in 1970. She has led several major houses and, since September 2024, has been creative director of Uniqlo, the clothing brand owned by Fast Retailing. She was the first woman to serve as artistic director of Givenchy.
Career
Waight Keller studied fashion at Ravensbourne and completed a master's degree at the Royal College of Art. She began her career in the United States, working at Calvin Klein and then on menswear at Ralph Lauren, before joining Gucci under Tom Ford, where she worked on womenswear and accessories in the early 2000s.
She was creative director of Pringle of Scotland from 2005 to 2011, then artistic director of Chloé in Paris from 2011 to 2017. In 2017 she became artistic director of Givenchy, where she designed the wedding dress of Meghan Markle in 2018 and received the British Designer of the Year Womenswear award. She left Givenchy in 2020.
In 2023 she launched UNIQLO : C, a womenswear line for the Japanese retailer. In 2024 Uniqlo appointed her creative director, overseeing the main collection as well as UNIQLO : C. Fast Retailing chairman Tadashi Yanai praised her "excellent sense of balance, which never forgets the perspective of the consumer". In 2026 she joined the executive board of the British Fashion Council.
Influence on the fashion business
Waight Keller's move to Uniqlo reflects a broader shift in which mass-market retailers recruit luxury designers to raise design quality and brand perception. Her role combines:
- Design direction for a global retailer with thousands of stores
- Translating luxury standards of fit and fabric into everyday basics
- A dedicated designer-led line within a mass brand
- Experience in turning around and repositioning heritage houses
Her earlier work at Pringle of Scotland and Chloé is often credited with modernising those brands while respecting their identity.
Why it matters
Clare Waight Keller has worked at nearly every level of the industry, from American sportswear to Paris couture to global mass retail. Her appointment as Uniqlo's first creative director makes her one of the most influential designers for how hundreds of millions of people dress, and a key figure in the convergence of luxury and mass fashion.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Clare Waight Keller?
Clare Waight Keller is a British designer who has been creative director of Uniqlo since 2024. She previously led Pringle of Scotland, Chloé and Givenchy, where she was the first female artistic director.
What does Clare Waight Keller do at Uniqlo?
As creative director she oversees Uniqlo's main collection and the UNIQLO : C line, which she launched in 2023. She is the first person to hold the title of creative director at Uniqlo.