Daks goes hip

Venerable British label Daks is about to get an injection of hipness thanks to multi-tasking London designer Giles Deacon. In a perfect example of the hi-lo collaborations that characterize fashion today, Deacon will be designing the luxury women's collection for Daks starting next spring, about the same time his designs for high street retailer New Look hit stores.

Giles Deacon holding his British Designer of the Year award at the recent British Fashion Awards

Daks is best known for sensible pleated skirts and sturdy raincoats of the type favored by Her Majesty herself. "I loved the idea of working with a true British luxury brand. And it doesn’t hurt that they have royal warrants," Deacon told industry paper Women's Wear Daily. "I want to transform it into an ultramodern British tailored clothing collection. There will be a lot of coats, jackets, suits — and I hope I can pop a few frocks in there, too."