Designer Review: Giles Deacon

Giles Deacon is a fashion designer from Cumbria, England who studied at St. Martins College of Art and Design in London. He won the prestigious British Fashion Designer of the Year Award in 2006 at the British Fashion Awards. After designing for a number of fashion houses, Deacon started his own fashion line. It was called simply, 'Giles'. In addition to his independent work, Giles Deacon's designs for the popular high street British chain, New Look, have made a big splash.

Giles Deacon has a reputation for wild designs, with lots of sculptural fabric and 3-dimensional accessories. What I like about his designs is that, although 'out there' they never seem to be driven by shock factor. Rather, his textured skirts have a playful 3-D appearance which reminds you of a modernist sculpture. They always seem to be driven by an inner order and coherence. In this sense, they are positively subdued in comparison to the manipulative designs of Deacon's contemporaries who seem only attempting to shock.

It is true that Giles Deacon's runway shows, especially in previous years, have centered on fashion which makes a statement but is not especially practical for the average woman. Yet, the Giles label is moving increasingly towards more wearable designs. Giles Deacon has diversified with his design work for New Look. As one of the most popular high street stores in the UK, it is the ultimate representation of affordable and popular fashion. Perhaps this experience has influenced Giles latest runway designs. At a recent Paris runway show, Giles Deacon showcased cute and fetching skirts, dresses and slacks sets. The fabric had an iridescent shimmer in sixties hues of tangerine and lime green. There were even cute accessories such as oversized sunglasses and dinosaur tote bags.

The craftsmanship and fit of Giles Deacon's clothing is always top notch. I love how Giles Deacon manages to be fun and fantastical while at the same time practicing understatement. For instance, his shimmery iridescent dresses shown in Paris were dazzling; yet they were tailored and fitted so that there is not too much fabric to be blinding. Likewise, Deacon chose kitten heels rather than the six inch heel monstrosities that some designers have been putting on their models recently. Giles Deacon's clothing is big on imagination but still relaxed and low key. In other words, Giles Deacon is a fashion designer who is brilliant but who doesn't try too hard, and that's a look that connects with many women.