Julien Macdonald was born in the Welsh town of Merthyr Tydfil on 19 March 1972. The future Givenchy fashion designer was raised in a family with a talent for knitting where even his father Glyn was good with the needles, leading to him having an interest in fashion from an early age.
Early career
Aged 13, Julien was creating cardigans for his family, and even reworked his school uniform. However, his first love at that time was dancing. Julien trained as a tap dancer and set his heart on a career in the spotlight, either as a dancer or an actor. But a one-year foundation course at Cardiff Art College revealed his talent for fabric design, and spurred him into enrolling on a degree course in Fashion Textiles course at the Faculty of Arts and Architecture in Brighton.
By the time Julien presented his graduate show in 1996 at London's Royal College of Art (where he had chosen to do his MA in knitwear) the fashion pack were clamouring to use him. Karl Lagerfeld, the creative behind Chanel at the time, snapped him up to produce the French fashion house's knitwear while he was still at college. Soon, Julien became a well known celebrity designer, working with icons such as Paris Hilton and the Spice Girls' Geri Halliwell.
Fashion success
In 2001, Julien took the fashion world be surprise when he was announced as the new chief designer at Givenchy following Alexander McQueen's departure that year. His first couture collection for Givenchy was unveiled in July 2001, and commentators expecting vintage Macdonald were shocked. Julien's severe, all-black collection was a departure from the effervescent designer's signature style and, while showing off Julien's technical mastery of cutting, stunned assembled fashion writers.
After leaving Givenchy in March 2004, the Welsh wonder branched out in 2004, launching a more affordable range with high-street chain Debenhams while maintaining his designer-to-the-stars status. In June 2006, the Cool Cymru figure was honoured with an OBE. Julien has since worked with celebrities including Beyonce, Kylie Minogue and Jennifer Lopez.
Despite some controversy in his early years due to his use of animal fur, Julien has since apologised for his previous dedication to that fashion trend. Speaking with Reuters in 2017, he stated: "It was my mistake. I was young. I am sorry... You do not need to kill animals to wear nice clothes."
TV Career
Julien has appeared on several TV shows over the years as a fashion expert. He joined Sky One's Project Catwalk in 2006, was made a judge on Britain's Next Top Model in 2010, and competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013. He and his dancing partner Janette Manrara were eliminated in week four of the competition.
