Clare Waight Keller: Fashion Pivots, Trusting Your Creativity and Making Time Count

What does it take to lead luxury fashion for two decades—then make an unexpected pivot? My guest this week, celebrated fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, knows first hand. After shaping the vision at Chloé and Givenchy—where she famously created the Duchess of Sussex’s wedding dress—Clare stepped away from the Paris catwalk to become Uniqlo’s Global Creative Director.

In this episode, Clare reveals why this was more than a career shift —it was a statement of intent. With luxury fashion prices soaring 52% since 2020, Clare’s new mission is to show that great everyday design can be accessible to everyone, and that in the right hands “fast fashion” can be reimagined as slow fashion.

Clare also takes us under the hood of her creative and decision making process—sharing why trusting her instincts is her superpower, why discomfort fuels her best work, and how seeing time as her most precious resource has shaped every decision she’s made. We get to the truth behind why there are so few female fashion directors, what it was like to work with the Duchess of Sussex, and why Uniqlo’s home-base of Tokyo is her favourite fashion capital yet.

Clare Waight Keller is a revered force in fashion, and her journey—rooted in instinct, embracing change and long-term strategic thinking—offers inspiration to anyone forging their own path to just right.

If you’ve ever wanted a peek behind the curtain of design creativity, are curious about how fashion is changing, or to hear from a woman at the top of her game in an industry dominated by men, this one’s for you. 

Guest: Clare Waight Keller 

Collection: Uniqlo C by Clare Waight Keller and Uniqlo 

Mentioned in this episode

Clare Waight Keller’s favourites

Tea: Marco Polo  

Supplement: Resveratrol 

The Enoughness with Melanie Rickey.

Produced and edited by Steve Hankey.

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The podcast is recorded at 1 Warwick in Soho, a welcoming club for members and visitors alike, and the home of The Enoughness with Melanie Rickey.

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