One fashion designer explains what it's really like working with Meghan Markle

‘Genuine and generous’

Meghan Markle is one of the most talked-about women in the world, with the most commonly asked questions surrounding her involving what she is like behind closed doors.

Fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, former artistic director of Givenchy and creator of Meghan’s royal wedding dress, has opened up about the Duchess, explaining what it was like to work with the royal when creating that iconic Givenchy bridal look.

‘The Duchess of Sussex - the past three years has flown by, and so such beauty has come into my life in so many ways,’ Clare captioned an Instagram snap to commemorate her work with the Duchess of Sussex. ‘The teams that I have built of very talented designers, the skilled technicians and artisans I have worked with, and more importantly the friendships that have been made. One that started just 6 months into my role at Givenchy was with Meghan Markle, the future Duchess of Sussex.’

She continued: ‘From the very beginning everything felt different from what I would have expected. She was modern, with a fresh approach, warm and welcoming, completely disarming and joyful in every way. We struck it off instantly and a friendship began. Fittings were always a special time to chat, just us, it was a time of getting to know each other’s history and there are many memorable moments. But above it all is a connection between two people that come from completely different paths in life.

‘Friendship is about love, understanding and kindness. A good friend knows your stories and also helps you write them.’

Clare also went on to talk about the royal wedding dress in a separate post, explaining: ‘Two years ago today I was in the final fittings for a very secret dress. So many emotions were running through me during those months leading up to the big day.

‘A wedding dress is one of the most exquisite and beautiful moments for a designer, but also personally as an woman artist, creator there is a lot of sensitivity that flows through the process from the knowledge and understanding of the feelings that you have as a bride. It’s a unique point of view when you have been through it yourself, as I did at my wedding to my beloved husband 20 years ago, you remember every moment so clearly and realise the significance of every detail and decision. In so many ways you are capturing dreams, that as a girl and as you become a woman you will have been thinking about for years.’

She continued: ‘Learning to let go of my emotions and embrace the feelings of someone you are designing for brings about an incredibly beautiful relationship of trust and intimacy. Through hours of conversation, meetings together, and research, slowly all the pieces of that story came together. Purity and simplicity were the guiding principles, a narrative of nature through the 53 florals of the Commonwealth to bring the world into the journey of the ceremony and subtlety bringing the lines of Givenchy and the history of the Maison to capture the classical timeless beauty i knew she wanted to achieve.

‘It was obvious the significance of this occasion was more than any other, it would be a very personal ceremony with so many choices that would reflect both the bride and grooms heritage and their unique way of being incredibly inclusive, genuine and generous.’

Well, that’s lovely.