Uniqlo appoints Clare Waight Keller as new artistic director

Uniqlo has appointed Clare Waight Keller as its creative director, solidifying a partnership that started in 2023. She will celebrate her fresh role tomorrow in New York, showcasing her newest concepts for the Japanese brand.

The UK-born designer will continue her work with UNIQLO: C and will also take on responsibilities for Uniqlo’s mainline collection starting Fall/Winter 2024, including its significant menswear division.

Waight Keller expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “Working with UNIQLO over the past two years has been an incredible experience. Their innovation and commitment to exceptional products have deeply immersed me in their brand and vision for the future. It’s both exciting and an honor to contribute to the evolution of LifeWear.”

Uniqlo, based in Japan and a part of the Fast Retailing Group, is set to benefit from Waight Keller’s expertise. Tadashi Yanai, chairman, president, and CEO of Fast Retailing, remarked, “We are delighted to welcome Clare Waight Keller as Uniqlo’s creative director. Her remarkable originality and extensive experience, combined with her outstanding consumer-focused balance, will enhance LifeWear, elevating it to new levels and creating garments that will delight our customers even more.”

Born in Birmingham, Waight Keller started her career at Calvin Klein in New York after earning a master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in London. She later worked with Ralph Lauren on the Purple Label and joined Tom Ford at Gucci in Milan. Her career includes a notable seven-year tenure at Scottish cashmere brand Pringle and global acclaim in 2018 when she designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress for her marriage to Prince Harry, earning British Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards.