John GallianoThe Label
Part romantic, part maverick, Galliano is as revered for his fantastical imagination as for his deft design skills. His collections are stupendous mixes of nostalgia, a jumbling together of historic eras and references founded on expertly precise and technical tailoring; think ‘30s-style bias-cut gowns and impeccably tailored suits that manage to look as much a part of the future as the past. No longer plagued by the unstable financial backing of a decade ago, Galliano is now part of the stable of luxury designer firms held by French conglomerate LVMH. In 1995, LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault tapped Galliano as chief designer of Givenchy—controversial, as he was the first Brit to hold the post—then deposited him two years later as head of design at Christian Dior. Galliano now creates some dozen collections a year, including couture, ready-to-wear, accessories and eyewear for Dior, as well as directing his own eponymous label.
The Look
A clash of historical eras, a fantasy of theatrics and thoroughly modern technical skills. Infamous looks include the fragile 1930’s style bias-cut gowns based on Princess Lucretia and her escape from Russia, and the pristinely tailored suits from the Fall ’05 collection reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich. White pants cut on the bias slenderize the leg; jackets pin-tucked to the waist explode in a bloom of marabou-trimmed ruffles at a portrait neckline.
The Designer
Born in Gibraltar in 1960, John Galliano attended the prestigious Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design in London. His 1984 graduate collection, the French Revolution-themed “Les Incroyables,” was bought in its entirety by Joan Burstein, owner of the Browns, London boutique—an unheard of endorsement for a newcomer; even more success came when the collection sold out. In 1988, Galliano was named British Designer of the Year, and in 2001 he was knighted, receiving a CBE on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Who Wears It
The eclectic Galliano has dressed everyone from Diana, Princess of Wales (in a dark blue lace-edged evening gown) and Cate Blanchett (her 1999 Academy Awards dress featured embroidered flowers and a tattoo-like hummingbird) to burlesque diva Dita Von Teese.
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