On the announcement that John Galliano has been chosen to make his much speculated-upon comeback as creative director at Maison Martin Margiela it seemed a lot like something may have slipped the fashion-pack’s collective mind. Not what’s been previously said and done by some of the parties involved, and after all, everyone deserves a second chance, but that Margiela and Galliano undeniably share a very mutual ambition – to galvanise and revolutionise.
Returning to the fashion world, the avant-garde, somewhat afflicted, provocateur, equally as experimental as the now reclusive Martin Margiela, may well differ from one of Belgium’s premier Antwerp Six members in design doctrine, but in actual fact, this should prove to be one of the best assignments in recent fashion history. Following the retirement of Margiela himself in 2009, Galliano’s arrival is sure to push the brand back in fashion’s focal point, that’s if Renzon Russo, president of the Only The Brave group, has anything to do with it.
The move also comes after all the talk of the ex-Dior creative director taking the reins at Oscar De La Renta, which failed to come into fruition due to rumours of the designers exorbitant atelier costs. In hindsight, while we may have liked the idea of Galliano lending his classic high drama to De Le Renta, his placement at Margiela means a more experimental playing field awaits him.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com