JOHN GALLIANO RETURNS TO THE FASHION WORLD AFTER 4 YEARS, NOW DESIGNING FOR MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA
Galliano finally staged his comeback after 4 years in the fashion doghouse, following an antisemetic rant at a bar in Paris which ended in his dismissal from Dior. The collection was shown in a long, white space in London, a return to the designer’s roots. With an impressive arsenal of 180 guests including Kate Moss and husband Jaime Hince, Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell, and Manolo Blahnik, among others. Following the theme of Maison Margiela’s Artisanal collection, which includes making fashion out of found objects, was the unexpected black toy car trim on the first look out on the runway (above).
As expected, the eccentricity and extravagance of Galliano shone through with dramatic makeup (up to 12 pairs of false eyelashes on a model), unconventional fabrics (evening gowns made from trouser lining), and playful extremes in forms and shape. By inserting fun and frivolous details into the collection, such as faces made of of shells complete with false eyelashes, Galliano overcame the fault of excessive focus on theory. The reception included thunderous applause, yet no standing ovation; seems Galliano’s comeback left something to be desired. In the future, the biggest challenge Galliano will face includes transitioning his eccentric visions to the next generation, a generation that is largely unaware of his massive contributions to the fashion industry in the early 1990’s.
Images courtesy of Marcus Tondo
