There were many people who thought that John Galliano wasn’t the best choice for the role of creative director at Maison Margiela – these days it seems like it’s better to take the name of the founder off the label and leave only his surname – and all these people were proven wrong in Monday’s presentation of his first couture collection that took place in London. Everything, from the bright and clean white of the room to the skimpy shorts and platform shoes, was a perfect mix of the two esthetics. 

All the looks were based on the ideas of artisanal, recycling and deconstructing – three key words engraved in the Maison’s DNA – but it was their mix with Galliano’s love for romantic yet daring silhouettes and dramatic moments that gave us the most exciting pieces of the collection. In true Margiela fashion every single piece concealed a huge amount of details so much so that Christopher Baily, creative director at Burberry and one of the few lucky people invited to the runway debut, said that he “wanted to keep pressing the pause button, to study, look closer at, play with and enjoy the clothes”.

As a matter of fact, this would have been the only way to truly appreciate every single element that went into creating the collection: a sleeveless canvas jacket was trimmed with matchbox cars, a crimson red coat was embellished with red lacquered seashells arranged in the fashion of Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s paintings and a long, black, wool coat was covered with toy soldiers. Galliano then balanced these heavy-detailed looks with other simpler, plainer garments: their quiet, monochrome perfection offered a moment of breath in an otherwise dense collection. But it was the last look that walked down the runway that had everyone in the audience gasp: a red, grand ball gown fronted with jewels, mirrors, portrait miniatures and more. To top the whole look off the model wore an organza-made, bejeweled day of the dead mask and an equally bejeweled glove. 

Instead of the grand exit that we all expected, Galliano took a blink-and-you-missed-it bow wearing none of his flamboyant signature looks, but the mansion’s traditional white coat; maybe to show that this time he’s there to stay. As shoe-designer, Manolo Blanick brilliantly declared “the boy is back!” Yes, he is indeed.   

Click inside to see the whole collection!

It seems like this time the rumor had it right! John Galliano is the new creative director at Maison Martin Margiela! The news was confirmed today by OTB, Margiela’s parent company. “Margiela is ready for a new charismatic creative soul,” said Renzo Rosso, president of OTB. “John Galliano is one of the greatest, undisputed talents of all time — a unique, exceptional couturier for a maison that always challenged and innovated the world of fashion. I look forward to his return to create that fashion dream that only he can create, and wish him to here find his new home.” In these last few years Galliano, who has been Dior’s creative director from 1997 up to the 2011 controversy that lead to his resignation, has been keeping a low profile and this marks his comeback to the fashion scene. And what a comeback! Galliano will be responsible for all Margiela lines including women’s ready-to-wear and couture. He’s going to make his runway debut for the house in January, during couture week and we can’t wait to see which astonishingly visionary clothes this true fashion genius is going to present!

From left : Prabal Gurung, Giles, Matthew Williamson, Chanel, John Galliano, House of Holland

Giorgio Armani

If you think that pink equals girly, fluffy and romantic Tom Ford and Azzaro are going to prove you wrong with short, sleek, sexy dresses and the same are going to do Marc Jacob’s funny and sporty jumpsuit and Armani’s ready-for-work jackets. Of course, there’s also plenty of that fluffy, girly and romantic pink we were talking about in Antonio Berardi’s, Oscar de la Renta’s and Temperley London’s collection and I dare anybody to resist the urge to grab a tiara and play princess once they see Zac Posen’s blush pink ball gowns. I understand that to many of you the idea of wearing head-to-toe pink might be a little, shall we say, unsettling, so, instead of wearing pink clothes, why don’t you start with pink accessories? A pink bag, a scarf, pink shoes or even some pink nail polish are definitely going to do the trick! So, as Maggie Prescott brilliantly put it “I wouldn’t presume to tell a woman what a woman ought to think, but tell her if she’s got to think: think pink”!