It’s been nine months since the brilliant British designer Clare Waight Keller joined Uniqlo as global creative director. Don’t know who Clare Waight Keller is? If you’re not already wearing clothes she’s designed for Uniqlo, you will, and soon.
This, after all, is the designer who created Meghan Markle’s wedding dress while leading Givenchy in Paris, as well as creating their catwalk collections. Before that Clare designed Chloé for six years, also in Paris. In short, Clare Waight Keller is an experienced and highly successful creator of luxury fashion, and today, she leads Uniqlo, how good is that? Her reasons for doing so are even better – she says she wants to bring her exacting eye for design, quality and affordability to as many people as possible.
Case in point among many great pieces in her collections for Uniqlo is this double-layered tiered skirt, which has a sleek fit to the waist, flows out via some well-proportioned tiers to a voluminous hem, features darling picot lace detailing and a pair of deep pockets.
The last time Uniqlo released this tiered skirt in March, in black, white, butter yellow and sky blue, it sold out fast, and went viral. And as of today, it’s back in stock, though the pale blue version is selling fast.
I’ve seen many a chic woman striding around town in the black version, even this morning! I’ve seen it worn with barely-there summer sandals and a navy jumper. With Dr. Marten boots and a white shirt; a striped preppy boyfriend shirt and mesh mary-janes, a white T-shirt tank top and Adidas ballerina sneakers. What I’m saying here, is it works with pretty much any shoe and top combination you can throw at it and always looks properly chic.
Oh, and did I say that this skirt is £34.90? I don’t think I mentioned that yet. £34.90 – for a considered, useful and high-end design. And though I don’t advocate for the use of polyester, this skirt has an outer layer of cotton and a lining in polyester, which means both can be recycled separately. Clare assures me that once you’re done with any Uniqlo item (but will you ever be done with this skirt, I ask you?) simply bring it back to Uniqlo and they will recycle it and ensure the fibres do not go to landfill.
I don’t think affordable style gets much better than that.
