THE story of John Galliano is well known in fashion circles. Now at Margiela, his time at Dior culminated in a very public fall from grace. Less mentioned is his eponymous label, still running without him, that acted originally as a petri dish for his imagination, where he experimented with ideas that reflected his personal style unencumbered by the history and tradition of the legendary Maison he led.
Book cover – John Galliano: Unseen by Robert Fairer
This behind-the-scenes tribute by Fairer, once US Vogue’s exclusive backstage photographer, revisits Galliano’s 1996 – 2011 shows and all the attendant frenzy and palpable excitement in what must have been one of fashion season’s most glamorous tickets.
We loved the Balkan Fantasy-themed AW09/10 show with Glass-girls Coco Rocha and Jessica Stam looking suitably ethereal, and the Joan Crawford “screen glamour queen” AW 03/04 collection, a theme that resurfaced as a Dietrich-inspired Dior show the following season.
by Ethan Long
John Galliano: Unseen, (£48) by Robert Fairer. Publisher Thames and Hudson