Why Fashion Needs Galliano

Some things in fashion - and in life - are indisputable, and John Galliano's talent is one of those things. The news of his appointment at the creative helm of Maison Martin Margiela has engendered excitement and speculation within a fashion industry keen to see clothes again weaved from his unparalleled imagination. A glimpse of Kate Moss's Galliano designed wedding dress in 2011 or the catwalk results of his 'temporary studio residency' at Oscar de la Renta last year have shown what he is still capable of - but Margiela has put him back in charge.

John With Muse Kate

"It is wonderful for John to be able to do what he does so well," Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman said today. "It's been a waste not being able to benefit from his extraordinary passion for the creation of clothes for the past three years."

As returns go, Galliano's gentle re-emergence from the fashion hinterland has been about as gradual as one can imagine. Exiled by many - but by no means all - following his dismissal from Dior and subsequent trial for anti-Semitism more than three years ago, Galliano has engaged in a strategic re-entry: with only select interviews and limited public appearances leading up to his creative rebirth. Before entertaining any reintroduction to the industry, he began a lengthy period of contemplation and recovery from the addiction issues that precipitated and accompanied his Dior collapse. Living in LA, away from the pace of Paris; building personal relationships; making amends; teaching and mentoring fashion students - and now with a lifestyle to rival a vegan chef - Galliano is healthy mentally and physically, cleansing mind and body as he approaches his new beginning.

Fashion Royalty

"Although I have lost a lot, I have gained so much," he told French news programme Le Supplement last month. "I mean, I'm alive today. I've been able to work on myself, and, eventually, when I do come back into the industry, I know the industry won't have changed, but my perspective on it has changed."

A stronger, more resilient, more prepared Galliano is more equipped than he was three years ago to deal with the pressures of the business of fashion - but are consumers also ready to welcome him back?

Fashion Finally Forgives

"There will be those who will welcome John's return to the industry and greet it positively and those that won't," Joan Burstein - founder of London boutique Browns and one of Galliano's earliest supporters from his graduate days - told us. "Browns will continue to wish him both happiness and success, following this next chapter for him with great interest."

"Maison Martin Margiela is a key partner for Selfridges - from both a commercial and creative perspective," Judd Crane, Selfridges's director of womenswear added. "We are delighted for both Margiela and John Galliano, and very much look forward to seeing what one of the UK's leading talents will bring to the house."

Time To Repent

"John Galliano is one of the most talented, important designers of our time, and I am delighted he is coming back at Margiela," Jonathan Newhouse - chairman and chief executive of Condé Nast International, and a vocal supporter of Galliano throughout his court case and subsequent recovery - told us today. "He has been missed. I met with him last week in Paris and he is in terrific form. He has fans all over the world, and they will be eager to see what he will create."

And that "what" is the question on everyone's lips. Following just a year-long stint at Givenchy in the mid-Nineties, Galliano and Dior became wedded to one another more closely than any designer and brand except perhaps Lagerfeld and Chanel - making the thought of him finding a new fashion love almost unimaginable. So what will Galliano at Margiela look like?

 

The arrival of the world's most flamboyant and dramatic fashion talents at one of the world's most understated brands is a strange fit to some eyes. To witness Galliano's almost ubiquitous historical references manifested in a brand obsessed with the modern will be interesting to say the least. Margiela prides itself on teamwork and anonymity - never naming a designer or consultant openly since the founder's departure in 2009 - which provides a stark contrast to Galliano's Dior tenure, during which he was held aloft across the world, attending every event and putting his glitzy seal on every product. Taking a man whose fascination for invention, for fabric, for the soul of clothes, to a house with a strong utilitarian foundation may seem foolhardy - but the labels latest couture show, although not by Galliano's hand, reminded us that there is much room for the invention and humour found in his early work at this house.

Galliano's New Start At Margiela

Perhaps this juxtaposition, this clash of warm and cold between the brand and the man, will produce a more comfortable temperature for all? On one side, bringing Margiela - once frozen from all media, and in some ways consumers, by its reclusive founder - into the warmth felt by one of fashion's favourite figures could be a move of commercial genius by its owner Renzo Rosso. For Galliano, perhaps creating an climate a little cooler to work in than the pressure cooker that was Dior will be welcome. Following fellow Paris-based designer Jean Paul Gaultier's ready-to-wear retirement last week - citing the "frenetic pace of collections" expected by the industry today, leaving him with inadequate time to "find fresh ideas and to innovate" - Margiela would be advised to retain if not their design anonymity then at least their reluctance to place all the pressure or praise at one person's door. A cool environment, with occasional warm adulation, could be just the conditions for the most beautiful Galliano creations yet to flourish.