Clare Waight Keller is a respected British fashion designer/creative director. She worked for Givenchy for years, and she’s currently creative director for Uniqlo, the mass-market sportswear and leisurewear company. Keller also notably made the Duchess of Sussex’s wedding gown in 2018, as well as making several custom looks for Meghan during her time as a “working royal.” Clare and Meghan are still friends, or at the very least, they’re still friendly. Keller was recently profiled by the Telegraph, and obviously, they tried to make her pay the Sussex Tax, although she did not take the bait. She said lovely things about Meghan and kept it moving. What I found most interesting about this profile was the reason why Keller spoke to the Telegraph in the first place: she was highlighting her new ambassadorship with SmartWorks, the same British charity which counted Meghan as their patron back in the day. Meghan created a capsule collection for SmartWorks in 2019. It sounds like Keller is continuing Meghan’s capsule-collection model within SmartWorks. Plus, Keller donates Uniqlo clothes to the charity. Some highlights:

Her work with SmartWorks: [She is] an inspired choice of ambassador for Smart Works, the charity which since its launch in 2013 has helped over 45,000 women get back into the workplace by mentoring them through interview and CV challenges – and giving them the right clothes. Most of us, at some point, have experienced the deflation that comes from feeling we’re not wearing the right outfit. So, while Smart Works primarily helps women who’ve been out of the jobs market for extended periods through illness, addiction, caring and maternity commitments, Waight Keller’s expertise is universally useful for anyone who feels their wardrobe is less than optimal.

Her fashion advice for job interviews: Much as she loves a double-breasted blazer for instance, she thinks that in 2025-2026, a good quality jumper, “a simple crew or V-neck, perhaps with a quarter zip, depending on what suits your face shape, in merino, cashmere or lambswool, worn on its own or over a sharp, masculine shirt” can look equally sleek and seem more relaxed. She pairs her Jermyn Street and Uniqlo shirts with midi and maxi skirts. “Sometimes it’s easier to find a flattering skirt than trousers. I like pleats or, if you feel comfortable in one, a pencil skirt. They’re a nice female touch. Wear them with a good T-shirt, or just-below-the-waist knit.” For interviews or Zoom meetings, she suggests keeping jewellery to a minimum, “otherwise it becomes massively distracting”.

Meghan’s style: Keeping it simple, with careful consideration to cut, fabric and texture, is at the core of what she wears and designs: a useful message for all, even Meghan, who’s also had to adjust what she wears now she’s in her Californian-Jam-entrepreneur period. Coincidentally, Meghan was a Smart Works patron when she was a working member of the Royal family. While much of Meghan’s wardrobe seems like a zillionaire flex, her sense of ease in what she wears is palpable. “The thing about Meghan is she knows what she likes,” says Waight Keller, who spent time with her in Montecito last summer. “She has very much evolved her look to what you see now – a minimalist, chic, timeless and quite monochromatic wardrobe. She knows what looks good.”

High-low: She also recommends mixing high end with high street, which, she points out, reads as nuanced and sophisticated. She would say that, now that she’s working for a high-street behemoth. Uniqlo, which is also supporting Smart Works with mentoring and capsule wardrobes, is defying global retail downturns and continuing to invest in bricks and mortar (it has 2,519 stores across the globe, including 23 stores in the UK, with two to open in Leeds and Bristol next year).

[From The Telegraph]

The Telegraph wants to be bitchy about Meghan but they came away deflated, and inadvertently made Meghan sound cool and rich. “While much of Meghan’s wardrobe seems like a zillionaire flex, her sense of ease in what she wears is palpable.” They’re so f–king mad. “…Who spent time with her in Montecito last summer….” LMAO. A British person went to Montecito and SPENT TIME WITH MEGHAN!! Scream it from the rooftops! That reminds me of how the British media was super-salty about British chef Clare Smyth visiting Montecito and actually appearing on With Love, Meghan. They were begging Smyth to bad-mouth the Sussexes and she just refused to play that game. Anyway, I think it’s really cool that SmartWorks’ new ambassador is Clare Waight Keller, and it sounds like she’s doing a lot of great stuff with the charity.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.