Sanderson and Giles Deacon Toast a New Collaboration Over Lunch With C Magazine

The designer and illustrator introduced his new fabrics and wallpapers for the storied British interiors line

Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Photography by STEPHANIE PLOMARITY

Giles Deacon, Gwendoline Christie.

A bevy of interior designers and friends of Giles Deacon gathered for a luncheon held with C Magazine at Chateau Marmont on Tuesday, April 23, to celebrate his new collaboration with Sanderson. The resulting wallpapers and fabrics that both embrace the British interiors line and introduce new layers and dramatic elements were on view in table linens, pillows, and sets of fabric swatches arranged beneath the patio arches. Sanderson design director Clare Vallis as well as Beth Holman, the firm’s president, joined Deacon and his partner Gwendoline Christie to introduce the collection in Los Angeles. Interior designers Brigette Romanek, Ross Cassidy, Nathan Turner, Nicole Gordon, Scott Formby, and friends including Johnson Hartig, Sarah-Jane Wilde, Christine Suppes, and Anne Crawford also got a first look at the line Deacon described as having “traveled from a bygone era to the modern day and then moving back and forth.”

Vallis agreed with his description. “The collection, whilst rooted in history and the pillars of our archive, feels fresh and new,” she said. “The term timeless is overused but in this case perfect as the collection transcends time. We can’t wait to see the new worlds the interior designers create with it.” Vallis, who also applauded the unmistakable sense of theater in the patterns, added, “We were inspired to work with Giles as huge fans of the incredible theatrical world he creates in his couture collections. Almost otherworldly, suspended in time.”

In the courtyard of L.A.’s Chateau Marmont, the table is set with fabrics from the Sanderson x Giles Deacon collection.

Deacon, who launched a namesake label in the aughts and continues to design couture and ready-to-wear for private clients, is also known for his ink drawings, some of which formed the basis of his project with Sanderson. These, combined with signature motifs from the Sanderson archives, constitute the collection on view during the luncheon for which he redrew virtually all of the patterns giving everything the handmade details he reveres. “The joy of bringing the collection to life was the combination of exploring the exquisite Sanderson archive and combining it with artworks from my own practice and imagining new ones,” Deacon said. As the work progressed, Vallis noted that she wanted to see how Deacon would express his vision in interiors and “create a collection that could be transportive, and create a world within a world.”

There are 34 wallpapers and 37 fabrics in all, many with bold jewel tones but also plenty with softer neutral hues. “The reframing of both worlds, redrawn, art worked and colored, resulted in a timeless yet modern collection seen through my lens,” Deacon said. Guests left with tote bags—covered in his signature jagged-edged stripes—and pillows made with the new designs.