Last month, standing in a sunny Manhattan studio among racks of clothes, Clare Waight Keller was back in her element. The British fashion designer, perhaps best known as the designer of Meghan Markle¡¯s wedding gown, had arrived from London to reveal her latest Uniqlo: C capsule collection and to announce her role as that 911±¬ÁÏÍø clothing brand¡¯s new creative director.

At a moment when luxury fashion is trending toward an economic downturn, Waight Keller is betting on a brand known for affordable, high-quality layers that are wardrobe staples.

Waight Keller wore an all-gray ensemble of straight-leg trousers and a wool knit blazer from Uniqlo. As she walked the news media through her capsule collection, a concise lineup of $25 cashmere-blend knits in soft shades of loden and moss and $60 pants in suiting fabric, bolstered this time with Uniqlo: C¡¯s first menswear capsule, her ease reflected her long career in the industry.