The dream dress (and fashion nightmares)
FROM the moment Pippa Middleton stepped from her vintage car at St Mark’s Church in Englefield, followed by a tulle-puffed train of guipure lace, it was clear that this would be The Dress of 2017.
With a high, regal neckline embroidered with tiny pearls, delicate capped sleeves, a tight bodice to show off the famous ‘Middleton Middle’ and the billowing skirt, which was so exquisitely crafted it appeared to be seamless, this couture gown was a knockout.
But did we expect anything less? Like everything else about Pippa’s wedding, her choice of designer would have been made with laser-sharp calculation. So, who better to call upon to design it than Giles Deacon, the darling of the British fashion scene?
Deacon is a quietly spoken 47-year-old, who was born in Darlington and grew up in the Lake District.
He is so down to earth, he is more often seen in Nando’s near his home in North London than in louche members’ clubs in Soho.
Deacon may look like a stocky Cumbrian farmer — his father was an agricultural salesman — but what Giles can do with a bolt of hand-printed silk has broken many a heart on the front row.
Although a former winner of British Designer of the Year, Deacon’s career began to take off only after he made the decision 18 months ago to shelve his ready-to-wear line and concentrate on creating modern couture gowns for the rich and famous.
He has dressed Hollywood actresses Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Beckinsale, and his own girlfriend, Gwendoline Christie, the magnificent 6ft 3in Game Of Thrones actress.
‘I always enjoyed making the big, special pieces for the show, and those were the things we were selling, so I thought: “Why not do what you love most?” ’ he explained.
Now at his atelier in East London, he is busy producing couture gowns for 50 to 60 of the world’s wealthiest women, from Saudi princesses to CEOs of tech companies.
Day dresses start from £8,000 and evening dresses from £24,000, with the most complex wedding creations stretching to £120,000.