Fashion career profile
Julien Macdonald
Julien Macdonald is a Welsh fashion designer known for high-impact eveningwear, knitwear and red-carpet dressing. He studied fashion knitwear at the University of Brighton and completed an MA at the Royal College of Art. After his graduation show, Karl Lagerfeld recruited him to lead knitwear design at Chanel. Macdonald established his own label in London and built a signature around intricate embellishment, body-conscious silhouettes and technically demanding knitwear. In 2001 he succeeded Alexander McQueen as Creative Director of Givenchy, designing both haute couture and ready-to-wear before leaving the Paris house in 2004. He has continued to present collections under his own name and has also worked in costume design. In 2004 he received an OBE for services to fashion. This profile separates the short Givenchy appointment from his continuing namesake practice and records his education and Chanel entry without inventing unsupported tenure dates.
- Role
- Welsh Fashion Designer; founder and Creative Director, Julien Macdonald
- Nationality
- British
- Career appointments
- 2
- Fashion houses
- 2
- Julien Macdonald unveils e-commerce site for runway RTW collectionFashionNetwork · 2026-06-23
- Julien Macdonald launches e-commerce following London Fashion Week comebackThe Industry Fashion · 2026-06-23
- Education: University of Brighton; MA, Royal College of ArtHis official biography records knitwear studies at Brighton and postgraduate study at the RCA. · Julien Macdonald
- Chanel: Head Designer of KnitwearMacdonald’s official biography says Karl Lagerfeld recruited him after his RCA graduation show. · Julien Macdonald
- Givenchy: Creative Director (2001–2004)He succeeded Alexander McQueen and designed couture and ready-to-wear. · Julien Macdonald; Vogue Runway
- 2001 — Becomes Creative Director of GivenchyHe succeeds Alexander McQueen and designs couture and ready-to-wear.
- 2004 — Receives an OBE for services to fashionThe honour follows his early-career leadership at Givenchy and development of his own label.
- Start not documented–End not documented — Head Designer, Knitwear — ChanelHistorical appointment · Julien Macdonald
- 2001–2004 — Creative Director — GivenchyHistorical appointment · Julien Macdonald; Vogue Runway