At Glass we are not going to dwell on re-entries into the fashion world or so-called attempts to wipe the slate clean because that is not what second chances are about. John Galliano is a designer who deserves to earn respect where respect is due just as much as any designer so we are going to give him just that, as a designer and nothing else. The fact of the matter is, Maison Martin Margiela have a new creative director and it’s safe to say their latest recruit has done them well.
Easing himself into a couture collection is a method that has paid off for Galliano, why, after all should force of habit be broken seeing that grand dressmaking is second nature to the designer. What was evident early on is that he has considerable room to breathe at the house which has offered him a redemptive harbour of sorts, one which has certainly brought out the best in the designer.
Naturally, anticipation soared through the roof and once the first towering model trotted onto the catwalk in typically Galliano stilettoes it soon became clear that bricolage was a part of his thought process. For now, this was as familiar as the designer cared to be with the technical conceptual codes that Margiela stands for, but it is certain his relationship with the brand will mature in good time.
In many ways every last piece showed promise and conveyed the hope that Galliano could reach some radical new creative heights that differ from most of his previous coups. In actual fact it was this Margiela-esque aesthetic that harked back to the romanticised glamour gone astray of his earlier post- CSM years. This reflective and restrained touch is instrumental to his takeover of the house, yet, meagre flashes of animal print assured us that the Galliano we know and love still has a lot of bite left.
Hue wise, crimson was of the moment for Galliano and is also now being touted across the board as the shade we should not evade during the year ahead, so here’s to probably the best use of luscious red so far, bravo. At its best everything was more considered, from the play of the pristine mandarin collars and lengthy gowns to the touchingly beautiful deconstruction that evoked an art of falling apart that was uneasily yet calculatedly apt.
Heaven knows, the decadent toile manifestation that made its way onto the catwalk for the shows finale must of been in light of a few demons be exorcised. It may be plain to see that the sands of time have cast a change on the designers working process but in the long run this twist of fate should offer Galliano a new lease on fashion. One must stop and think how wonderful it really is that he is still willing to give to the industry.
Given the real forces of evil that have emerged only as recently as last week and are still presently at work in the world, the last thing that anyone should be doing is berating a man who has made conscientious attempts at making amends and moving on.
More than ever hitherto, fashion’s role should be to promote love, joy for joy’s sake and togetherness, not inspire any form of hatred or prejudice. Now that Galliano is fairly securely back in the running, things can only get a little brighter step by step.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com