Fresh with being honoured designer of the year, Giles Deacon has confirmed his next career move will be to the high street. Teaming up with retailer New Look in a relationship that could well be for the long term, Deacon will begin with designing a capsule collection of 35 pieces for Spring 07, an accessories line is also in the works and actress Drew Barrymore looks set to be the face of the campaign…

While the concept of designers teaming up with high street retailers used to be quite exciting, take Luella and Target and Stella McCartney and H&M for example, it was quite dissapointing to read this morning that Giles Deacon would be partnering up with New Look, there is a residing feeling of yet another designer selling out to the allure of the high street and the commercial success it could possibly bring.

Before it “appeared” that the collaborations were in the interest of the people who wanted great designs at affordable prices however now the partnerships between designers and retailers are leaving quite a bad taste in the mouth of the fashion industry mainly because rather than bringing anything new to the table, designers are now more focused on appealing to the masses, which could end up being quite damaging not only to the industry but for the designer themselves.

{image: from a selection of Christmas looks at New Look}

[WWD]