No, this is not another breaking news story story about how the careering pace of the fashion industry has claimed yet another casualty. In fact, British designer Giles Deacon has announced he is claiming a slot on the prestigious Paris Couture schedule from July this year, and will not be shuttering his ready-to-wear line in the process (hurrah!). Nicely timed to day two of Haute Couture Week, this revelation is a welcome side effect from the spate of designer departures, as couture becomes a respite from the relentless RTW and mid-season collections.
In recent months, an alarming number of designers have resigned, or in some cases been forced to leave their labels (Jonathan Saunders' closed his eponymous brand last December following Alexander Wang, Raf Simons and Alber Elbaz's exits from Balenciaga, Dior and Lanvin respectively), with most blaming the maddening conveyer belt of collections, and the increasing pressure to temper creativity in favor of sellability.
Speaking exclusively to ELLE Editor-in-Chief, Lorraine Candy, Giles explained: ‘I'm still very much going to do ready-to-wear, but I'm going to focus on red carpet, private clients and what we are known for and do well.' Cue cheers from Giles groupies Cate Blanchett, Dianna Agron, Solange and Thandie Newton.
Cate Blanchett at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival in Giles Deacon
Indeed the beauty of couture is that it is so stubbornly out of sync with the cult of the fast and furious. ‘With couture, it means I get to show fall in July, with delivery in September. My clients will be getting their pieces in season,’ Deacon explained to WWD. ‘This business gives you a lot more control, because it means everything that's ordered is sold, and each customer gets an individual piece.’
So, this is good news for Giles' clients and even better news for the fashion industry, as his new venture means his teams in both Paris and London are set to grow. Excitingly, he'll also be opening a new showroom in Mayfair and possibly launching virtual fashion shows: 'I love the idea of marrying a very bespoke couture business with the really progressive technological world,' he explained excluisvely to ELLE.
With Riccardo Tisci making his surprise couture comeback during the Givenchy Menswear Spring 2016 show in June of last year, and Jean Paul Gaultier bowing out of ready-to-wear in 2014 to focus on his couture offering, is this beautiful, time-honoured craft becoming more relevant than ever before?
