The Art of Fashion: Giles Deacon

It’s not every day that the public gets to see and hear what goes on inside a designer’s head, but this is where Giles Deacon performs to his best.

The women’s fashion designer was featured as part of The Art of Fashion series in partnership with Elle recently. Each of the talks had been held at the Whitechapel Gallery, a contemporary art space nestled in the capital’s trendy East End.

Deacon began by describing his roots in the industry, and how he knew he wanted to do something creative but wasn’t sure exactly what, listing musician, painter or writer as possibilities; all of those pathways that an adolescent boy might like to follow. His Art Foundation course opened up the world of fashion, and he went on to study at Central Saint Martins alongside the likes of Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney.

Talking about the art and artists that have inspired him over the years, including Richard Wright’s wall art and Allen Jones’ pop art pieces, he explained that he liked the decorative quality and the uniqueness of their art. Deacon’s collections have often combined cartoon characters and vibrant colour palettes with feminine shapes and street style designs. His 2008 spring collection shown at London Fashion Week featured a decapitated Bambi print prom dress. Did this ruffle any feathers at Disney? ‘They didn’t seem to mind,’ he responds, chuckling.

To see his hand-drawn designs up close is refreshing, as we are so used to seeing the finished product. The notes and scribbles made on the pages are particularly amusing – things such as ‘Flash Gordon’ (which had been on the TV at the time) – and he told how he would like to get back into ink drawings and how he tries to keep the work process enjoyable.

When questioned about archiving his work, he said that he used to think he should get over himself because it’s not that important, but as one of the top British designers of the past few years he has now come to realise this is a great way to store his thoughts and ideas. This is one thing that can be taken away from the talk: the feeling of how humble Deacon is as a designer, and how important to him and his work London is, being surrounded by such a fashion-forward city and the inspiration that comes with it.

Whitechapel Gallery
77-82 Whitechapel High Street
Whitechapel
E1 7QX

Tel: 020 7522 7888