ALUMNI News - Fanshawe College

4
Ever wonder where people get such
fantastic designs for their masks, helmets
or vehicles? Could be you’re seeing a
Derrick Gilders’ original. He has been
creating high profile headwear and luxury
motorcycle designs for the past 10 years.
Heads Up:
Artist at Work!
O
Once you meet Derrick Gilders (Industrial Design 89 /Mechanical
Engineering Technician 92) you never really look at a helmet or
motorcycle the same way again. The plain ones tend to look like
a canvas or, if already decorated, they are indeed works of art.
“My work is custom order, so I meet to discuss ideas, start
with some sketches and go from there,” says Derrick. “Whatever
you can imagine, I can design: from animals, birds and mythical
creatures to superheroes, sports crests and flaming skulls.”
He does the design work in his home studio but the surface
preparation and painting is done in a rented corner of a
mechanic’s workshop in London. He uses automobile paint
and the production process has a number of intricate steps and
layers.
While he became used to seeing his work at local hockey
arenas, he got a big thrill in 2003. “I was watching NHL hockey
on TV with my son and Ottawa Senators’ goaltender Martin
Prusek skated out wearing a Gilders Design original,” recalls
Derrick. “It was my first year for a mask in the NHL and that
was pretty cool.”
The studio roster is impressive with projects completed for the
New York Rangers, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Cinncinati Reds
and the London Knights just to name a few. He’s still busiest
at Christmas though. “Parents and grandparents just love to
surprise their young puck-stoppers,” says Derrick. “Those jobs
are fun because they’re so personal.”
Referrals are now providing more than steady part-time work,
and while it may become full-time some day, Derrick says
he’s quite content for now to keep his full-time job at General
Dynamics where he has been a technical writer and editor for
the past 14 years.
To see more of Derrick’s high profile handiwork, visit
www.gildersdesign.com
Fanshawe College Alumni News Spring 2006