The advance word at the London shows was that Giles Deacon‘s debut collection
was the can’t miss event of the week. A member of the tight knit British
style mafia that includes fashion editor Katie Grand (who styled the show),
Stuart Vevers (who designed some of the bags), Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley,
Deacon is well-known figure in London fashion circles. He designed for Bottega
Veneta before Gucci acquired the luxury leather goods house, and he jumped to the
parent company when the acquisition was final. With such a pedigree comes
high expectations, and the designer delivered. Topflight models including Eva
Herzigova, Erin O’Connor, Karen Elson and Nadja Auermann seemed to
have descended on the catwalk directly from a private jet exclusively to show
off Deacon’s dressed-up and racy but very ladylike collection. His battery of
thickly woven wool pencil skirts, strong-shouldered silk and satin blouses,
fit-to-perfection trousers and voluminous chiffon dresses were distinctly different
from all other presentations seen in London. Where some designers struggled
with experimental ill-fitting silhouettes and hard-to-pin down direction,
Deacon’s seasoned hands worked a clear marriage of deco and ’70s swing, and he assembled a tight line-up of accoutrements necessary to authenticate the look for that no-nonsense woman with style to spare. Gina supplied the belts and shoes, Agent Provocateur laced the underwear, and Rory Chricton designed the
leaf and circular prints all in wintry browns, mustards, pinks and copper that
wowed the audience. Is Deacon next in the long list of successful designers out of London? The talent is there, and so is a crew of influential friends — you do the math.

-Jason Campbell

Photos: Giles Deacon fall 2004