Clare Waight Keller visits the Ravensbourne Degree Show

Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of Givenchy and designer of Meghan Markle’s wedding gown, visited the Ravensbourne Degree Show viewing student work and speaking with staff and students.

The event is an annual opportunity to celebrate the work of students, with both the School of Design and School of Media showcasing work which seeks to challenge, excite, entertain and change the world for the better.

Clare visited the afternoon before the official opening, looking around the various departments and joining staff for a celebration of Ravensbourne’s announcement of university title.

Clare studied at Ravensbourne herself, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in fashion in the early 1990s. In 2017, she was appointed artistic director of the house of Givenchy, becoming their first female artistic director. Prior to this, she held artistic director positions at Pringle of Scotland and Chloé, among other work experience.

Commenting, Clare said: “It was amazing to see the quality of work created by students and how committed they are to what they believe in. The details of the collections produced by the fashion students felt very professionally produced and very modern, so I was quite excited about what I saw.

“I think what’s interesting about the North Greenwich campus compared to where I studied in Chislehurst, is that you have so much crossover between the different disciplines. It’s almost like working in a sort of arena of art and design, which is wonderful.”

Professor Linda Drew, Ravensbourne’s Director added: “It was fantastic to have Clare visit us, and a fitting way to begin this year’s Ravensbourne Degree Show. Naturally, we are very proud of her achievements - they set a great example to our current students of what they can achieve when they enter the world of work. The Ravensbourne Degree Show was produced by students, for students, and as such this really was their show. I would like to say a huge congratulations to them all for pulling off such a vibrant and ambitious event.”