Giles Deacon Creates a Colorful Collection for Aspinal of London
July 26, 2018
Giles Deacon in his studio with Aspinal of London creative director Mariya Dykalo
LADIES OF LONDON: Giles Deacon has taken up his paintbrushes and colored inks to create a capsule collection for the British accessories brand Aspinal of London. The collection, which is to make its debut during London Fashion Week in September and land in-store and online Oct. 15, will be available globally. In the U.S. it will be sold exclusively at Barneys New York.
Deacon has drawn a gang of elegant women dressed in colorful Forties-style skirts, coats, evening gowns, nipped waists and trouser suits, all walking on a bed of pink roses. Aspinal has cast the print onto the brand’s totes, shoulder and handbags, wallets and other small leather accessories. One of the designs — a woman holding a large handbag — has been lifted from the bigger print and embossed on the brand’s Hepburn bag.
The mini hat-box bag has been covered in moiré leather in gold, rose gold and emerald green while the Aspinal Trunk Clutch has an iridescent hand-embroidered feather motif inspired by the Aspinal logo. The collection also includes silk scarves — and Christmas crackers — bearing the original print.
Prices range from 65 pounds for a luggage tag to 950 pounds for the embossed Hepburn bag. Customers can preorder online during fashion week. The collection will be sold through Aspinal’s stand-alone stores, including its new unit at the Dubai Mall, on the brand’s web site and across its concessions, including Harrods. In China, Shangpin will be carrying the collection exclusively.
Deacon called the collaboration a “super opportunity” to showcase his original illustrations and said he was thinking about the “Aspinal girl” when he made the designs. Aspinal, he said, told him to see the brand through his own eyes and put his twist on the collection. “They’re quintessential English girls zooming around town, having a good time in their frocks. They love fashion and simple, gorgeous prints,” said the designer.
Although Deacon focuses on creating couture and bespoke clothing for a posse of private clients, he’s no stranger to accessories: He created designs for Mulberry when Stuart Vevers was at the creative helm of the brand. The Aspinal collaboration is one of Deacon’s many projects: Earlier this week he opened an online shop selling a variety of design objects – with the exception of clothing.
The new coffee-table book, GilesSolveKatie (Laurence King Publishing), is available from the online store now, and the designer said he’s planning small, specialized drops throughout the year with products to include a limited-edition fragrance, holiday items and homeware, hand-screen prints and works of art, “all of the things that interest me,” he said.
Deacon is also designing costumes for the New York City Ballet fall gala on Sept. 27. The event will see designers including Deacon, Gareth Pugh and Alberta Ferretti team with choreographers to create original costumes for works to be performed on the night.
