Heavy Metal and Garden Delights: Giles Fall 2014

Giles Deacon decided to show his fall collection in East London’s Old Truman Brewery, which also houses his studio, as opposed to a grand institution like the Royal Courts of Justice, where his shows have been staged for years. It seems interesting then that the collection was a step removed from an aesthetic that Giles has become synonymous with; namely, OTT gowns with all the trimmings and the headwear to match.

Instead, these rock-star girls stormed down the runway to a rather different tune. Highlights included blue and orange motorcycle pants that opened the show and a myriad of cocktail dresses alluding to an exotic garden theme: prickly thorn prints, hummingbird embroidery, streams of 3D beetles, and elongated orchids recreated in sequins or sculpted into the fabric.

It was a high-voltage affair and the synergy between the set — a dark runway lined with pulsing strobe lights and a heavy-metal live band — and the clothes was undeniable. This was a side to Giles that felt younger and fresher than ever, reflected in the electric line-up of models, which varied from punkish tomboys like Cara Delevingne to Jourdan Dunn and the rest of stylist Katie Grand’s coterie.

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