Clare Waight Keller had ‘intimate’ bond with Duchess Meghan

Clare Waight Keller has reflected on the "trust and intimacy" she shared with the Duchess of Sussex when designing her wedding dress.
The former Givenchy creative director has been reminiscing about creating the "very secret" gown and working closely with the former actress – who was known as Meghan Markle before marrying Prince Harry – in "capturing [her] dreams" ahead of the big day, which took place in May 2018.
She wrote on Instagram: "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 realize 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
"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."
The 49-year-old designer praised Meghan and Harry for their attention to detail, including the finishing touches on the bride’s outfit, when it came to arranging their "very personal" ceremony.
She continued: "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."