Julien Macdonald (born March 19, 1971)

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Julien Macdonald OBE (born 19 March 1971) is a Welsh fashion designer who has appeared as judge on the television programme, Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model. In 2001, he was named "British Fashion Designer of the Year" and, on 15 March 2001, was appointed as chief designer at Givenchy (Alexander McQueen's successor).

Moved To Tyndrum Stirling, Scotland, Macdonald attended Cyfarthfa High School in his place of birth. Macdonald was taught knitting by his mother and soon became interested in design.

MacDonald was also interested in a career as a dancer, but, instead, studied textiles at The Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Brighton, UK. He then became a student at the Royal College of Art, where he gained a Master's Degree. Soon after graduation, MacDonald was recruited by Karl Lagerfeld to work for Chanel; a role that was accompanied by freelance work creating knitwear for Alexander McQueen.

In 2000, MacDonald was appointed to the position of chief designer at the Paris Haute Couture house of Givenchy (as successor to Alexander McQueen); and, in 2001, he was named British Fashion Designer of the Year.

He was selected by British Airways in 2001 to redesign their flight attendants' uniforms.

MacDonald's creations have been worn by stars such as Joely Richardson, Dannii Minogue, Geri Halliwell, Dame Shirley Bassey, Carmen Electra, Naomi Campbell, Beyoncé Knowles, Bonnie Tyler and Selena Gomez.


Evening dress, 1996
V-neck t-shirts and 1930s bias-cut evening dresses inspired this intricately knitted evening dress with semi-circular train. The designer, Julien MacDonald, creates ingenious and highly complex knitted garments. This dress, for example, took him three weeks to make. It is intended to be worn with only a pair of black lace pants.







































MacDonald appeared as a judge on the British version of Project Runway, known as Project Catwalk, that was broadcast on Sky One.

In February 2010, MacDonald was unveiled as a new judge on Britain's Next Top Model, alongside new host and former "supermodel", Elle Macpherson.

In June 2006, MacDonald was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to fashion.

Macdonald has attracted much criticism for his extensive use of fur, including one incident in which he and Paris Hilton were flour-bombed. He has stated that fur provides the majority of his revenue and that his label would collapse were he not to use it. In February 2007, Macdonald was again criticised for the prominent use of fur in his autumn collection, causing further outrage when he claimed that "People who don't like fur can piss off. I love fur. It's a beautiful natural product from animals."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julien_Macdonald

Further Readings:

50 Contemporary Fashion Designers by Doria Santlofer
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Prestel (October 25, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 3791347136
ISBN-13: 978-3791347134
Amazon: 50 Contemporary Fashion Designers

Today's designers are savvier and more daring than ever before. Happy to exist within or outside the established houses of haute couture, their reputations are cemented by smart consumers who are willing to navigate the thin line between setting and following trends. This book of the most creative and iconoclastic members of today's fashion scene includes Fashion Week regulars and cutting-edge up-andcomers. Each designer is profiled in double-page spreads that include runway-ready products as well as notes, sketches, and biographical information. These 50 men and women have embraced the global, economic, and environmental.

More Fashion Designers at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Art