Following time at the fashion houses Gucci and Bottega Veneta, Giles Deacon founded his own label, Giles, in 2003. Success was instant. After his first collection was shown at London Fashion Week in 2004, he was named best new designer at that year’s British Fashion Awards.
Recently, alongside making pieces for clients and working as the creative director of James Purdey & Sons, which makes bespoke guns and clothing for field sports, he has collaborated with interior design companies such as Peter Reed and Sanderson. Giles, 56, who is in a relationship with the actress Gwendoline Christie, divides his time between his home in Islington, north London, and his apartments in Paris and Italy.
“I’m far more seduced by longevity than novelty.”
A luxury night out is less about spectacle and more about atmosphere: candlelight, impeccable conversation and a table that feels discreet rather than seen; the right music, and the luxury of not checking the time.
My favourite luxurious meal is something deceptively simple but executed perfectly – wild turbot or a beautifully roasted bird with impeccable vegetables. Luxury is precision and produce, not complication. My favourite chef is Fergus Henderson, so a trip to St John [the London restaurant founded by Fergus] fulfils.
My biggest indulgence when it comes to luxury is craftsmanship. I will always choose a piece made by hand by someone who truly understands their material, whether that’s a coat or a piece of furniture. The invisible hours are what make something luxurious.
My go-to luxury beauty routine is rather British in its restraint: good grooming, excellent skincare and fragrance applied with intention. Ffern and Geo F Trumper are my go-tos.
The store that best embodies luxury to me is one that feels like a private world, where storytelling is as important as product. A trip to the James Purdey & Sons store in Mayfair is an experience unlike any other in London.
The most luxurious piece of jewellery I own is something with sentiment attached: a pair of cufflinks from Cartier. Jewellery becomes truly luxurious when it carries memories.
My last luxury splurge was on something beautifully made rather than flashy. I’m far more seduced by longevity than novelty.
Luxury in the home is spaces to draw, with sets of inks and watercolour papers, alongside some great music, and dressed with cushions and wall coverings from my Sanderson x Giles Deacon collection.
To elevate a cosy night in, I wear pyjamas and a dressing gown from Anderson & Sheppard.
The one little luxury I never compromise on is bedding, preferably from the British bed linen maker Peter Reed.
The simple luxury that brings me the most joy is fresh flowers in the house. They transform a room instantly.
The cooking essential that brings luxury to the kitchen is a really good knife. Precision again.
My ultimate long-haul luxury destination would be somewhere with space and horizon – Botswana, perhaps – where the rhythm of the day is dictated by light rather than schedule.
For a luxurious mini-break, I’m happiest somewhere in the British countryside: a great house, good walking, open fires and weather that behaves itself just enough. The Newt in Somerset is particularly special.
The luxury item that’s always in my travel bag is fragrance, currently Bay Rum from Geo F Trumper. It anchors you; wherever you arrive, it makes the unfamiliar feel personal.
Luxury, ultimately, is time – and the ability to spend it as you choose.
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