Donovan Pascal | Idol Design Director

Donovan is not only absolutely gorgeous but also has an innate knowing of what we want to be wearing on dance floors and on our daily missions. His designs are pure luxe rock-chic with a rough hand-craft quality, the signature: slashed, twisted, fused, woven, fringed, plaited and laddered! It’s no wonder the man has styled Prince and has also made pieces for the Rolling Stones for their 2003 Lick world tour!! His designs have been worn by Miss Moss, Keira Knightley, Beyonce and Agyness Deyn to name a few ladies who like to look London underground cool. Here we ask him what inspires his work, style and of course what he likes to do on his days off…

What do you think will be the hottest trend for this summer?
Light weight jump suits in flower, geometric or animal prints.

What are your three wardrobe staples?
A great fitting pair of jeans in a shade of blue or black, worn with a white fitted vest and a snug fitted leather jacket.

When did you first realise you wanted to become a designer and how did you get into it?
At the age of 15, I loved clothes and was always experimenting with new and different looks. I studied at the London College of Fashion.

What would your advice be for anyone who wants to break into the fashion world?
To succeed in the fashion world you have to have conviction in your design philosophy and not be distracted by what others are doing.

Which celebrity’s style do you admire?
I really like the way Shingai from the Noisettes dresses, she always looks great and has her own sense of effortless style.

What is your philosophy of fashion?
My philosophy of fashion is it’s great to know what’s on trend but it’s better to be unique and never let your clothes wear you.

What skills do you need to be a designer?
You need to be thick-skinned as your always trying to better your last collection and not everyone will like what you are doing all the time.

What would you be doing if weren’t a designer?
I have no idea what I would do if I wasn’t a fashion designer, I never had a plan B because I knew this was what I wanted to do.

Who inspires you?
I’m really inspired by Marc Jacobs, he’s great at what he does and seems a really cool guy. He also looks better as he gets older.

I wish people would take more notice of ...
…British new talent

I'm good at...
…making my friends laugh, I think it’s important to laugh everyday.

I'm bad at...
…talking on camera, but it gets easier the more you do it.

My ideal night out would be...
…hanging out on a summers evening with friends at the pool at Shoreditch House then coming back to mine for some after hours fun!

I relax by...
...by watching films, my favourites are big sci-fi blockbusters like Avatar, they take you on a journey to another world.

The best things in life are...
…friends, family and good health.

My next ambition is to ...
…make my Idol menswear really great!!!