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Giles Deacon Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1969

Age54

BirthplaceDarlington, UK

ProfessionFashion designer, Creative director, Entrepreneur

NationalityBritish

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather: David (agricultural salesman); Mother: Judith (housewife); Older sister

Giles Deacon Biography

British fashion designer Giles Deacon is known for playful, bold collections and high-profile collaborations. Trained at Central Saint Martins, he launched

Early life and background

Giles Deacon was born in 1969 in Darlington, England, and grew up in the Lake District area around Ullswater. From an early age he loved drawing and spent time observing nature; he has described keeping sketchbooks and drawing daily since childhood. He attended Barnard Castle School in County Durham before studying foundational arts and fashion at Harrogate College of Arts and then moving on to Central Saint Martins for higher studies.

Career

Deacon began his career in the early 1990s and initially collaborated under the name Doran Deacon. He launched his own label, GILES, in 2003 and presented a full collection in 2004. His design signature has included bold prints, structured moments intended to make a big entrance, playful and offbeat references, and frequent nods to pop culture.

Over the years Deacon has worked with a number of established fashion houses and commercial partners. He has held creative roles at established brands and in 2010 was appointed creative director of the French house Ungaro; his first Ungaro collection appeared in October that year and the collaboration ended the following year. He has also been involved in product and accessory collaborations, including a jewelry line with Evoke in 2008, a two-season accessories partnership with Mulberry titled “Mulberry for Giles,” and a commercial collection for the high-street chain New Look called Gold by Giles in 2007.

Deacon’s runway collections and collaborations have attracted both press attention and industry recognition. He received the Best New Designer award at the British Fashion Awards in 2004 and went on to win multiple industry honours over the following years, including Young Designer at Elle’s Style Awards, the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Forward Award, British Fashion Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, and the Grand Prix at France’s ANDAM Fashion Award. GQ also named him Designer of the Year in 2009.

His creative work has included theatrical and costume commissions as well as custom pieces for red-carpet clients. He has designed couture for the New York Ballet, costume and performance pieces for public events such as the 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony, and dresses worn by high-profile actresses at festivals and awards shows. Notable moments include a dress worn by Cate Blanchett at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015 that received considerable acclaim, and designing Pippa Middleton’s wedding dress in 2017. He has also created pieces for performers such as Billy Porter at the 2020 Oscars.

Deacon has maintained visibility in both the commercial and editorial sides of fashion. He has produced special collections for retailers, worked on limited-edition items—such as a novelty collaboration with Cadbury’s Caramel Nibbles in 2013—and supported multiple brand partnerships across Europe.

Public profile

Deacon is British and based between properties in London and on the continent, with residences reported in Islington and apartments in Paris and Italy. He has appeared on television in fashion-related programming, including Britain’s Next Top Model and Channel 4 series such as New Look Style the Nation. His public persona blends a playful, irreverent sensibility with a clear respect for craft and drawing; he continues to sketch regularly and cites drawing as a calming, essential part of his creative practice.

Personal life

Giles Deacon is unmarried. He has been publicly linked with several partners over time and is reported to be in a relationship with actress Gwendoline Christie. He comes from a family whose father worked in agricultural sales and whose mother was a homemaker; he has an older sister. Deacon’s interests outside fashion include swimming, hiking, gardening, macramé, and working on a potter’s wheel. He has said he does not enjoy cooking and prefers drinking socially. He is approximately 1.85 meters tall (6'1") with green-hazel eyes and blonde hair.

Latest updates

In recent seasons Deacon has continued to design for clients across the entertainment and fashion worlds and to take on collaborative projects with brands and retailers. His ongoing practice includes ready-to-wear and couture commissions, accessory partnerships, and editorial work that reflects his enduring mix of craft, humor, and theatricality.
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Recent Work

GILES label collections

Ongoing collections under his GILES label since launching in 2003, with a full collection presented in 2004.

2004
Creative director, Ungaro

Appointed creative director in April 2010 and presented his first Ungaro collection in October 2010; collaboration ended in 2011.

2010-2011
Giles Deacon's Edition for Debenhams

A women's clothing collection for Debenhams released in late 2015.

2015
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Career Highlights

  1. Launched GILES label (2003) and presented collection (2004)
  2. Best New Designer, British Fashion Awards (2004)
  3. British Fashion Designer of the Year, British Fashion Awards (2006)
  4. Grand Prix, ANDAM Fashion Award (2009)
  5. Designer of the Year, GQ (2009)
  6. Designed Pippa Middleton’s wedding dress (2017)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Giles Deacon born?

1969

What is Giles Deacon known for?

Fashion designer, Creative director, Entrepreneur

What is Giles Deacon’s marital status?

Unmarried