I was brought up in the Lake District and completed an Art Foundation Degree at Harrogate’s School of Art in Yorkshire before studying at London’s Central Saint Martins. I worked for Tom Ford at Gucci when he first moved there from Ralph Lauren, then I freelanced in Paris for a while, before setting up my own line in 2003. In 2016, my pieces became exclusively couture, and I’ve been designing and making couture bridal, daywear and eveningwear ever since.

Aspinal creative director Mariya Dykalo is a client of mine, and she always comes to see me, carrying a beautiful bag. She’d seen my illustrations in the studio, and she asked if I’d be interested in collaborating on a capsule collection with Aspinal, so I said: ‘Why not! Let’s do Aspinal through the eyes of Giles and see where it goes.’

I always think of my customer as being very cosmopolitan and very worldly; she travels, has interest in popular culture, ballet, music and art, and she’s as at home in the city as she is enjoying a weekend in the countryside. As I illustrate a lot, I thought it would be great to create a number of ‘Giles Deacon’s Aspinal Women’, who inspired the motifs I illustrated and embossed onto the accessories. I wanted to work with Aspinal’s existing bag shapes and add my own imagination to them, by including special elements that we would use within the couture process.

While my designs are synonymous with the world of evening couture, what’s often not seen is my bespoke couture daywear. And, whether I’m designing pieces for couture or the high street, what’s important is that it’s the best it can be, in the highest-quality materials within that market and at that price point, incorporating the best design skills I can muster.

Characterised by accessible eccentricity, my collection includes a selection of gorgeous tote bags, mini trunks, micro hat boxes, silk scarves, purses and refillable journals. There really is something for everyone.

aspinaloflondon.com/ladies-collection/giles