Julien Macdonald

Designer name: Julien Macdonald

Origin: “I’m from a little town called Merthyr Tydfil in Wales.”

Design background: Julien Macdonald OBE studied knitwear at The University of Brighton and received his MA at The Royal College of Art (1996). He was appointed Head Designer of Knitwear at Chanel and Lagerfeld by Karl Lagerfeld between 1996-1998. In 2001, Givenchy invited Julien to become their Creative Director, where he designer six collections a year, from Haute Couture to Prêt-a-Porter. He left Paris in 2004 to concentrate on his eponymous label. The Julien Macdonald atelier is based at a five story Georgian town house in Mayfair and the collection is manufactured in Italy.

Career highlights: “Meeting the Queen to receive an OBE.”

Design signatures: “My designs are sexy, high octane, powerful and liberating.”

Who is your ideal customer? “I love confident women who are not afraid of their sexuality: Charlize Theron, Angelica Huston, Charlotte Rampling... I love women so my list is endless.”

Trademark piece: “A red carpet glamourous embellished dress.”

Three spring/summer 2012 inspirations: “Japanese art, Chinese pottery and Lalique Crystal Glass.”

What’s next for your brand? “A bespoke couture dress service where customers can come to the atelier and have dresses specially made by us.”
 
Who are your design heroes? “Madame Grès, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel and Gianni Versace.”

What’s your favourite cultural hotspot in the capital? “The British Museum.”

In five years’ time I will be… “Five years older but a lot wiser!”