Can We Please Talk About John Galliano For Maison Margiela?
“With the body as our canvas, we build an exterior expressive of the interior: a form of emotion” - Maison Margiela
Last Thursday was definitely a memorable one for Haute Couture fashion as John Galliano presented the Artisanal Collection to the world with his first live couture show since 2020 for Maison Margiela. And what a show it was. It was truly amazing. Inspired by the works of Hungarian-French filmmaker and photographer Brassaï, Galliano transported the viewers to the world of Paris in 1930, the dark and gritty underbelly. As luck would have it, the light rain and mist only added to the eerie and gloomy vibe of the runway, (which was the pavement under the Alexandre III Bridge) lit by the light of dimmed street lamps and the first full moon of the year. The show was brilliantly spooky and definitely left its ghostly imprint on the minds of viewers.
Down the runway came hauntingly beautiful muses - as Galliano calls them, with porcelain-like make-up by the one and only Pat McGrath and doll-like moves, looking like they came from a Tim Burton movie. The looks included lots of corsets, hip padding, mesh and rough seams that made one wonder if the clothes were being worn right or maybe even inside out. And of course, the signature Margiela Tabis also made their appearance. With amazingly talented models, the garments were truly brought to life. I mean can we please talk about Leon Dame’s amazing opening? The transition from film to fashion was seamless and Dame’s opening carried a sense of nostalgia for the great fashion shows of the 90’s.
Makeup By Pat McGrath
In this show, although every look was unique and detailed and stunning, I think it’s safe to say that the skirts in this collection were the star of the show. With everything ranging from mesh to textured and layered to intricate lace designs and structured pencil skirts, each and every one of them was absolutley gorgeous.
Additionally, models walked in the way the clothing would… does that even make sense? I mean if you saw the show, this is the specific example I have in mind…
And we can’t forget Gwendolyn Christie closing the show. Dressed in a doll-like, corseted dress with rubbery, vinyl material, Christie made her way down the runway, in the show’s uniform makeup and accessorized with white heels, plastic-y gloves and a mini handbag, looking like she came straight out of a gothic indie movie (in the best way possible).
Because Maison Margiela is all about the construction of their clothing and the process of making their clothes, the “structured deconstruction” for the Haute Couture Artisanal show made a lot of sense. And with the Galliano theatricality of the whole show - it was truly a fashion sensation and success.
If you haven’t watched it, I’d definitely recommend checking it out on YouTube!
I believe that this is one of the most memorable fashion shows because of its incredible detailing. Every single little detail had a purpose, whether that be on the runway or in the set design. It made sense as a whole and told a story in its entirety, which I think is what the show and collection owe its success to. Galliano’s visual storytelling is incredible and added the narrative to Brassaï’s photography to bring it to life. With the abundance of creativity and innovation in the Maison Margiela Artisanal Collection, it is in moments like these that we see the potential that fashion has as its own form of art. It also goes to show that Galliano was and still is one step ahead of the rest of us.
All Photos curtosy of Maison Margiela
Thank you so much for reading!
*Disclaimer* All Photos not mine are given credit to the creator/owner/source. Photos which are mine will be described as such in the caption below the photo.
