A John Galliano retrospective on his 10 years at Maison Margiela

John Galliano has announced that he is leaving Maison Margiela, closing one of the most exciting chapters, without a doubt, in the fashion of our times. Let’s look back on his ten years of the theatricality that has defined today’s Maison Margiela couture.

Galliano was coming from a complicated few years after his scandal at Dior in 2011, when he was accused of making anti-Semitic remarks at La Perle, one of the most legendary cafés in Paris. But when in 2014 Margiela announced that he would be its new creative director, everyone was expectant: how was this genius of maximalism going to fit in such a minimal brand? Spoiler: he did it beautifully.

With his first collection, Artisanal Spring/Summer 2015, he made it clear that he would respect Margiela’s experimental and discreet vibe, but with his own twist: deconstructed garments, crazy materials and that theatrical touch that only he knows how to give. Galliano used the Artisanal line to give a lesson on how to make haute couture that really rocks. His designs were pure ingenuity: coats that turned into dresses, garments made from recycled materials? He showed that it wasn’t just about making clothes, it was about telling stories. And boy, did he succeed! Always with a touch of drama.

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For the Spring/Summer 2021 Collection, he partnered with filmmaker Nick Knight to create a fashion film. This union between Galliano and Knight redefined the way collections are presented in the midst of the digital and post-covid era, bringing haute couture directly to the screens of millions of people around the world. “Fashion is much more than clothes, it’s art, narrative and culture.” Galliano’s vision became even more evident here: clothing becomes an extension of the visual narrative. Cinema Inferno, Nighthawk, the Artisanal Collection 2024, lLeon Dame’s viral walk for Spring 2020… all those stellar moments made us move to other worlds, other narratives.

Galliano also managed to connect with the new generations without losing sight of the essence of Margiela. Classics like the Tabi Boots received a spectacular reboot: transparent versions, hand-painted, with glitter… they have become iconic and desired by all. And what about Rihanna’s papal dress? That look, inspired by religious iconography, and a design of his at Dior, was a masterpiece that once again established him as a couture genius of our time who knows perfectly how to unite pop iconography with a perfect mastery of couture work.

Now that Galliano is saying goodbye to Margiela, the challenge is to see who can continue with this mix of art and theatricality in the brand, but one thing is clear: his time at Margiela has marked a before and after. But one thing is clear: his time at Margiela has marked a before and after, and now what, will he open his own brand, reinvent himself again, will the doors of Dior open for him again? The only sure thing is that John Galliano has not said his last word, and we will be here to see him in the next chapter of his story.