The female designer is a "new force" in fashion and has just released a low-priced collection.

Japanese retailer, Uniqlo has just announced a luxury and affordable collaboration with renowned British designer, Clare Waight Keller of Chloé and Givenchy fame.

Clare Waight Keller, acclaimed for her designs at Givenchy and Chloé, is considered a fashion force with a long list of standout creations and iconic figures she has dressed. In 2018, she won the Womenswear Designer of the Year award at the British Fashion Awards. Notably, she also designed Meghan Markle's royal wedding dress and served as Givenchy's emerging female artistic director. Amid the initial wave of Covid and global lockdowns, her sudden departure was announced in April 2020 and has been under the radar ever since. Now, she has emerged, using her expertise to create a new women's line at affordable prices.

Named Uniqlo:C, the new line introduces Waight Keller's refined yet adaptable style to the world of affordable fashion, with the company also collaborating with luminaries like Jil Sander and JW Anderson. Yukihiro Katsuta, Uniqlo's director of research and development, who coordinated the +J partnership with Jil Sander from 2009 to 2011, said in a statement about choosing to approach Waight Keller for the project: "I researched many designers and what sets Clare apart is that she creates great clothes that are deeply feminine. I believe her wealth of experience and designs that fully appreciate the modern woman will open a new standard of LifeWear for women."

Launching in fall 2023, the debut collection includes a selection of 30 pieces including outerwear, tops, skirts, dresses, and more. Many of the designs recall her Givenchy work and Chloé collections six years earlier. She clarified in a statement to the media: "I wanted to distill the essence of my aesthetic, fluidity, movement, femininity, these elements are key. I also sought to convey my English sensibility, a boy-meets-girl charm, an element of attitude."

Certainly, Waight Keller's involvement with Uniqlo marks a departure, having rejuvenated Givenchy's couture atelier during her tenure in Paris and starting her career under Tom Ford at Gucci. But the opportunity to influence on such a vast global scale has its perks. “Six months were dedicated to perfecting these 30 pieces, from fabric testing to up to five accessories per piece, which is a unique process,” she told Vogue. “Traditionally at luxury fashion houses, we have to look at two or three pieces quickly before moving on.”

This venture under the Uniqlo umbrella is arguably her most publicized to date, especially in the mass market, allowing the designer to channel her past experiences into something fresh yet familiar. “The C encapsulates much of my vision: the urban commuter, city living, a clean color palette, and a casual boldness,” Waight Keller said in a statement.