Giles Deacon

The Mod’s fashion designs are due for a change and over the years has encountered a rangelet’s see what’s changed and what has remained something there differs but spirit’s the same.Again ‘60s?

Did it come back again? Or it just starts again..? Something of the sixties just kept bobbing up onthe runways in the spring of 2010. Inspired by Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf, Giles Deacon

in his ready to wear collection revived and presented the variations of the old but still admirable young ‘60s

revolutionaries fashion style. As he said he was aiming to catch the spirit of "slightly disconsolate girls who might be from the sixties—or somewhere in the future. Or maybe on a starship." At first sight Giles Deacon’s designs remind us about the Mod subculture’ clothing style – A-line skirts,

metallic brocade gathered short skirts, and a shearling jacket. But peered closer we notice the transformation,

which has been done by designer. An old shape was seen from new point of view. A bit of modern flair makes Giles’ female Mod look inspiring, with the same old

charm but new perspective and excitement. The strongly shaped, structured dresses have now another image –

designer ‘sanded the edges’, put out standing details and merged the colours. Youthful playfulness that reflected in Mod outfits especially female dresses turned into mature

women’ charm.

It is so difficult to define the connections and differences between Giles Deacon’s and designs and Mod subculture’s dressing style. I find it an advantage that designer managed to balance between the basics,

‘distinguishing marks’ of ‘60s style and his interpretations, that make his style and inspirations exceptional and recognizable. An amazingly old and well-known Mod garment suddenly acquires totally different look.

It appears like the shape is the same but it is slightly changed from rigorous to more floating one. Small holes reminds about the playfulness but the colours do not let us forget that it is serious now it is different

and mature. I am sure that the most fascinating and the most inspiring thing about this collection is that this designer – Giles Deacon finally showed the world the golden mean between the youth and maturity, the

Mod playfulness and charming restraint, between the young and adult women and finally between ‘60s and nowadays. That is not only inspiring, that makes everyone try and look for that balance between old

patterns and individual ideas.           

Pierre CardinAnother designer that inspired us is Pierre Cardin, he was known for his avant-garde style and his Space Age designs. He inspired us because he introduced unisex fashions and was fascinated with new materials such as vinyl, silver fabrics and large zips. He added molded plastic visors to helmet-like hats to make them resemble astronauts' headgear.

He was influenced very much by architecture, the shapes that could be formed by different techniques and what new ways he could make these shapes structured. His interest in architecture showed through geometric shapes that became his trademark in the 1960s. His dresses were printed with circular and rectangular motifs. He preferred crisp, supple textiles like wool crepe and jersey, manufactured by the Italian firm Nattier. He also used different versions of the mod symbol on dresses.

During the fifties, Cardin opened a menswear boutique in Paris where he sold informal men's gear like collarless jackets and roll neck jumpers. He made collarless suits which the Beatles'

later stage costume resembled. Even though Cardin created mini skirts he ‘de-sexified’ the female form by covering the legs and flattening the top half giving people a tomboy look that was

popular with female mods. When Cardin first started, his designs look quite low-key unlike his 2009 collection, he still used shapes but the colours are more muted to what they are now, being bright and out there.    The space age look is still obvious in a few of his designs, although it’s a bit more quirky now and futuristic with pipe like extras added on to his designs making them look 3d.