Galliano returns with Maison Martin Margiela Spring 2015 couture collection
updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:34
After four years being under the radar, following his dismissal at Dior, John Galliano made a stunning comeback at Maison Martin Margiela, sparking a whole lot of conversation. Here are our thoughts.
From the second news broke that the once disgraced designer, John Galliano, would be making his comeback to the world of fashion by taking hold of the reins at Maison Martin Margiela, everyone had to collectively take a minute or two to catch their breath.
Well, finally, the much anticipated moment has arrived. Perhaps in a bid to escape his former employers at Dior, the designer specifically chose to show outside of the scheduled Paris Haute Couture week and instead towards the end of London Collections. Set in a white clinical-like room with only two rows of white chairs, the complete fashion crowd was there to witness Galliano’s triumphant return – from Anna Wintour, Alber Elbaz, Christopher Bailey, Tim Walker, Nick Knight, Kate Moss to Manolo Blahnik.
Now the show itself probably wasn’t meant to ring up orders but was definitely a proud Galliano-delivered theatre. The striking pieces were an amalgamation of Margiela’s quintessential aesthetics and Galliano’s penchant for experimentation, that resulted in deconstructed dresses coupled with a selection of minimalistic styles – red gowns and sleek black tuxedos.
In a bid to inject humour, as does Margiela, several looks were encrusted with pebble-like pieces that from an angle resembled faces. From another perspective, it seemed as though Galliano had all of his inner demons for display on the runway, which seemed a tad cathartic and haunting. From the haphazardly put together skulls to the ‘faces’ that could possibly also resemble innards or some sea creatures, there was no doubt a lot to digest – no pun intended.
In its entirety, we have to say this was a collection that proved Galliano’s wit, unsurpassable creativity and ability to stay true to a brand while at the same time moulding his aesthetic within it. Sure most of the pieces wouldn’t appear in your wardrobe – some are entirely fearsome – but let’s face it, Galliano is one of the most imaginative designers out there and we’re glad to see his mastery come to life again.
As he took his discrete bow clad in a white lab coat – a la Margiela – the case was sealed, for Galliano is definitely back.
Tarandip Kaur
