Meghan Markle picked Paris fashion house Givenchy’s Clare Waight Keller as her wedding dress designer as she married Prince Harry in a ceremony at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor on Saturday.
Waight Keller was chosen by the American actress for her “timeless and elegant aesthetic, impeccable tailoring, and relaxed demeanor,” Kensington Palace said in a statement on its website. Markle also wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent and the two worked closely together, according to the statement.
Waight Keller was appointed artistic director of one LVMH’s key fashion brands last year after serving as creative head of Chloé and Pringle of Scotland. She’s the first female artistic director since Hubert de Givenchy founded the iconic brand in 1952.
Givenchy is one of the 70 houses controlled by LVMH, including Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton and Fendi. LVMH shares have risen 26 percent this year amid strong first quarter sales underpinned by demand from China.
Givenchy grew strongly under the guidance of Waight Keller’s predecessor Riccardo Tisci. It now has 50 directly operated stores and is present in 69 countries, according to the LVMH website. The fashion house plans to open more than 20 boutiques a year as it seeks to continue its overseas expansion by focusing on the U.S., Middle East, Europe and Asia.