Giles Deacon designs for New Look

Giles Deacon, the darling of the London fashion scene, is going to design a capsule collection for high street fashion chain New Look. The collection is called Gold and will launch at 50 of the chain's stores in the UK and overseas - Paris , Antwerp , Dublin and Dubai - in mid-March.

"I really wanted to do a long-term collaboration, and New Look doesn't have a huge stable of designers," Deacon said. "And they're terrific to work with - they just really get it." The collection will consist of about 35 pieces, including dresses for day and evening, jeans and T-shirts, coats, jackets, trousers and a full range of accessories. "We've worked with designers like Luella Bartley and Eley Kishimoto, but never on such a large scale," says Sarah Walter, head of fashion communications for the company. "We used to be a bit cautious about these types of collaborations, launching only limited ranges, but we're much more confident now." Deacon has been signed to design for collections a year for one year, with an option to renew the contract for another two years.

The designer is joining the growing number of high-profile designers to collaborate with high street fashion chains, including the latest collection for H&M by Dutch design duo Viktor & Rolf, which will be unveiled this week, and the range designed by Roland Mouret for Gap. Deacon is different in that his collaboration with New Look will be long term. "We've struck gold with him," says Walter. "He's such a hard worker, a really lovely man and he has a great team." New Look is further committing to the collaboration by launching an ad campaign starring a Hollywood A-lister. Walter said her identity is still a secret, although WWD has identified her as Drew Barrymore. The company is also investing a merchandising for the collection, including T-shirts and bags.

Pricing is very reasonable, with the highest priced item a beaded dress for £90, coats for about £50 and jewellery starting at £5 and sunglasses retailing for £10. "This is for everyone," says Walter.