John galliano brand history. John Galliano (John Galliano) is a famous English designer. Where to buy, store addresses. Fashion capital - Paris
John Galliano was born on November 28, 1960 in Gibraltar. When he was 6 years old, his family moved to London. His father is half English, half Italian, his mother is Spanish. He also has a sister. Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano Guillen is the full name of John Galliano.
According to Galliano himself, at school he always drew “telephones and flowers.” After leaving school he studied at St. Martin's College of Art and Design. Along the way, he worked at the National Theater. After college, John Galliano was planning to move to New York, where he had a position as a fashion illustrator. But his thesis, based on the French Revolution, brought him success. This work of his was noticed by the owners of the avant-garde clothing store “Brown”; they bought the entire collection and displayed it in the windows of their store. This would be the first success. Then luck smiled at John Galliano once again - Diana Ross came to this boutique and bought his vest. “My parents left for Spain, I settled at their house and made one vest after another,” Galliano recalled. He remained in London.
But despite the fact that season after season he created things that everyone admired, and was also able to present his debut collection at British Fashion Week, teaming up with hat designer Stephen Jones, this did not bring him much success, including financial.
In the 1990s, Galliano left for Paris. He sleeps on the floor in a friend's apartment, he has practically no money. For a workshop, one of his friends lends him space in his factory. Galliano is trying to find at least some financial support. And then chance helps him, he meets the almighty, editor of American Vogue. And she appreciated the young designer. It was she who persuaded the Portuguese socialite Sao Schlumberger to provide Galliano with her mansion in the center of Paris for the show. At this show, Galliano presented 17 completely black dresses, they were demonstrated by the models with whom he collaborated. This show was noticed and highly appreciated by the public. John Galliano was lucky again.
Dresses for Dior.
In 1995, he was invited to the post of creative director of the Givenchy House. A year later he moved to Dior, where he worked until 2011. Along the way, he creates his own fashion house, John Galliano. Now Galliano is torn between two houses, releasing 12 collections a year. And, if working for Dior, he remains even more or less restrained, then for his fashion house Galliano embodies all his wildest fantasies. Moreover, John Galliano's shows were always more than shows; he always had an element of show, theater. And the appearance of the fashion designer himself, John Galliano, at the end of the show was no less a show; he was always unpredictable, he always tried on a new image that could surprise the audience. No wonder they said about him that “Galliano’s approach to fashion shows is the same as Spielberg’s to cinema.”
Galliano regarded his work for Dior as an opportunity to shake off the dust from the old House, which before Galliano arrived there was already associated exclusively with clothes for middle-aged ladies, and to revive the popularity of the Dior name. And Galliano undoubtedly succeeded. It was under him that world celebrities began to appear in the front row at Dior shows.
According to Galliano, he draws inspiration from the entire world around him - he is inspired by “walking, music, travel, films.” He also looks for inspiration in historical events. The world remembers his dress - a straitjacket. And John Galliano himself considers his most memorable event to be the “Fallen Angels” show, before which he doused the models with water, because at that time it was fashionable to wear dresses wet.
Galliano also had a collection “based on Russian themes” - “The Flight of Princess Lucrezia from Bolshevik Russia”; he was inspired by the story of Princess Anastasia, the daughter of Nicholas II, who allegedly managed to survive.
Dresses for Dior
John Galliano is a tireless provocateur, an avant-garde artist, a man with an invariably rich imagination, ready to bring all his wildest ideas to life. He has been awarded the title of "Best Designer of the Year" in the UK several times (1987, 1994, 1995, 1997). In 2001 he received the Order of the British Empire, in 2008 - the French Legion of Honor.
As for his personal life, today few doubt that John Galliano is gay, as he had a relationship with his own stylist Alexis Roche.
But in 2011, Galliano’s luck changed; in March he was fired from the House of Dior for making anti-Semitic remarks in a Parisian bar. And 91% of the shares of the John Galliano House he created belong to the LVMH concern. Many colleagues were quick to condemn him. Kate Moss supported Galliano: she chose his dress for her wedding ceremony in July 2011, Galliano was also among the guests invited to her wedding. It is not yet known what and where John Galliano will work on next, but in the long term he will not be left without work.
Scandalous and controversial on the outside, John Galliano is considered one of the most virtuoso designers of our time. He is known for his romantic and eccentric creations, as well as his theatrical finales at fashion shows. Galliano is the genius who gave fashion the wonderful amalgam form it has retained to this day.
early years
Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano born in 1960 in Gibraltar, his father was a plumber and his mother a housewife. But Galliano’s mother had a special passion - flamenco. “She taught the children how to flamenco dance on the kitchen table and dress up for any occasion,” he later recalled. Most likely, it was this bright trait of his mother’s character that was passed on to her son and influenced his creative future.
When John turned 6 years old, the family moved to London. Since the first grade, Galliano was constantly drawing something somewhere. As the designer himself later commented, these were simple “flowers” and “phones.” But, the first step towards the fashion industry was taken, and confidently continued its path forward. After graduating from school, he entered the most prestigious college in Britain in his specialty - the College of Design and Art of St. Martina.
College studies and first collection
While still studying Galliano began to stand out among his fellow students thanks to his love of rich, bright colors. The gifted student was invited to work in New York as a fashion illustrator. But, after the release of his first collection, these plans were not destined to come true.
, collection "Incredible"
It was called "Incredibles." The first collection, which also became a graduation work, consisted of eight outfits. Inspired by the theme of the French Revolution and armed with his own imagination, he created dresses that captivated not only teachers, but also the owner of the avant-garde clothing store Brawn’s. From now on Galliano could proudly call himself a designer.
And yet, this was not enough for the whole world to know about the young fashion designer. But even here luck smiled Galliano. American singer Diana Ross, walking through London shops, saw creations in one of the windows Galliano and bought his vest for my wardrobe. This was exactly the PR that the designer needed to get everyone talking about him. From now on the name John Galliano has become an integral part of the high fashion industry.
“The most important thing is to evoke a reaction and emotion from the audience. In addition, I noticed long ago that what was shocking at the very beginning often brought huge commercial success.”
Galliano - leading British designer
At the age of 25 he became the main trendsetter in Great Britain. In 1984, Galliano registered his own brand "John Galliano". Various patrons began to support him. Thanks to money invested by Joan Burstein, Galliano, teamed up with hat designer Stephen Jones to show his new collection, "Afghanistan Rejects Western Ideals," at London Fashion Week. His creations were very controversial, but the most outrageous fashion week in the world appreciated the work of the fashion designer.
And outrageousness played its role. John Galliano noticed publisher Amanda Harlech, who made him her personal stylist. The work went well, and a year later he presented to the world his new collections “Absurd Games”, “Fallen Angels” and “Forgotten Innocence”. They brought Galliano new sponsor - Peder Berthelsen, a Danish businessman.
The inspiration behind the next collection for John Galliano became the heroine of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire. In her honor, he named the collection “Blanche Dubois.” Its distinctive feature was the use of elements from the works of Japanese deconstructionist fashion designers such as Rei Kawakubo and Yoshi Yamamoto. These works were the first that he presented in Paris at Fashion Week.
In the world of London fashion, the 90s were a period of decline, so I went to Paris. At first, he experienced difficult times: there was nowhere to live, and there was nothing to create outfits for. But fate itself favored the young Galliano, and chance brought him together with Anna Wintour, editor of the American version of Vogue. She was known for her patronage of young designers. Wintour took an active part in fate Galliano. She introduced him to the Portuguese aristocrat Sao Schlumberger, who kindly agreed to lend her mansion in the center of Paris for a fashion show. Models including Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell also worked for free. It was the beginning of a new era in life John Galliano. He presented the world with 17 outfits made of black crepe with a satin lining. And their designs, extravagant and chic, shocked the world. And it took only 15 days to create this breakthrough. But the audience was especially shocked by the theatrical performance staged by the fashion designer. Since then, they have become the calling card John Galliano.
Givenchy and Christian Dior
The designer's popularity grew at an insane speed. In 1995, Bernard Arnault invited him to take the post of art director of Givenchy. And that was just the beginning. Just two years later, he headed the Christian Dior fashion house. Galliano.
was exactly what was needed for a brand that was mired in boring, conservative images and needed new life. And that’s exactly what I gave him
The first collection at Dior, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the brand, was the “African Women” collection. It was a sensation. In it, the designer combined the motifs of historical costume from the Art Nouveau era and the glamorous chic of the 1930s with ethnic elements. The models resembled girls from a primitive tribe. This collection became one of the most shocking and unusual in the history of the fashion house. This collection seemed to throw aside minimalism, which began to gain popularity in the 90s.
“I think we've shaken off the cobwebs a little bit, made things lighter... Our jackets are in the traditional Dior spirit, they fit great, but they're designed for a woman who can take off and fly to New York for lunch in a second.”
Gave new life to Christian Dior. Their models began to be worn by Hollywood celebrities again. After such a breakthrough, they began to release 12 collections a year in order to firmly gain a foothold in the market. And, of course, each of the collections amazed with its extravagance. Galliano was especially inspired by history, both real and fictional, and the women in it. They occupied a special place in the designer’s work, because he dedicated many of his collections to certain ladies from different eras: Lucrezia Borgia, Louise Brooks, Scarlett O’Hara...
“The Dior woman is a true Parisian, whose image is gradually becoming a thing of the past. I wanted to revive it, not let it go out, because this is style, and style is eternity. I wanted to give the world exactly what Dior managed to revive - fashion. We use new fabrics and dyes, but impeccable tailoring is still the hallmark of Christian Dior." John Galliano Another interesting “trick” of all shows
Work at the Christian Dior house went on as usual, but this was not enough for the designer. He started his own brand "John Galliano". At the same time, he fully shared the specifics of working with two houses. At Dior, he increasingly studied the archives and rethought the well-forgotten old:
“Working with Dior is working with time, with history, which must be treated with great care.”
But "John Galliano"- completely different. He organized his fashion house in New York, the city that was best suited for the riot of his fantasies. Galliano found inspiration in everything: people always rushing somewhere, nightclubs, historical museums - everything prompted him to come up with new models. Working with his brand allowed him to open up to the fullest and allow himself any wild imagination. And as before, the designer’s main inspiration remains women, but of modern times.
“I want a man, looking at a woman in a Galliano dress, to feel an irresistible desire. Is this so much?
Anti-Semitic scandal
And yet, he did not manage to remain at the top of Olympus forever. On February 24, 2011, he was detained by police on charges of anti-Semitic statements. In one of the Parisian bars, a fashion designer, being intoxicated, met two Jews. A few days later, he was removed from his post as artistic director of Christian Dior, since such behavior was completely inconsistent with company policy.
The scandal around the designer grew more and more. Some condemned the actions of the fashion designer, while others, on the contrary, came to his defense. The court recognized John Galliano guilty of anti-Semitic behavior and sentenced to a fine of 6,000 euros.
But what was much worse was that Galliano prohibited from creating collections even under their own brand. The path to fashion weeks was closed for him, and even the French company LVMH declared that it would never work with the designer. For Galliano it was a disaster, and he went to a rehabilitation clinic.
For help John Galliano longtime friend Kate Moss came and ordered a wedding dress from him for her wedding to Jamie Hinch. The wedding took place on July 1, 2011. For your girlfriend Galliano created a dress in the style of the 20s with a train.
“Creating Kate’s wedding dress was my creative rehabilitation. It literally saved me. Kate gave me hope and I decided to prove that despite everything they say about me, I am still myself."
Unfortunately, this did not mean a return John Galliano to the world of fashion. Only in 2012, designer Oscar de la Renta invited him to work together on the creation of a new collection. In February 2013, the Oscar de la Renta fall-winter 2013/2014 collection was presented at New York Fashion Week. Only after this did information begin to appear in the media that he might return.
In April 2013, information appeared that the designer would conduct a master class on the topic “Show Me Emotions” for students at Parsons School, but for unknown reasons it was canceled. And in July, in a long time, he gave his first interview for Vanity Fair magazine. Thus began his gradual return to the fashion industry. On December 10, 2013, the premiere of the play “Little John” took place at the David Lynch Club, which was based on interviews John Galliano.
In October 2014, Maison Martin Margiela officially confirmed that he was becoming their creative director. And, just a couple of months later, on January 12, 2015, the fashion designer presented his new spring-summer 2015 collection. The fashion world missed Galliano’s extravagant models. This show, however, was not as shocking as many previous ones, but, nevertheless, had several extravagant moments. Particularly noted was the model who appeared on the catwalk with her face covered with a mask made of pearls, a crown and precious stones.
“Attention to detail, splashes of scarlet, lots of decorations and impeccable tailoring: John Galliano returned to the catwalk...What he showed in London was a powerful mixture of beauty, a minimum of provocation and the skills he has acquired over all these years. Those who will undoubtedly criticize the fact of Galliano's return will be poorer than him. John is one of the most talented designers of his age, and in this work he has done everything in his power to pay the bills for past misdeeds."
Susie Menkes
In June, Renzo Rosso, owner of Maison Margiela, noted that the brand’s sales had increased by 20% and emphasized that the company owes such success to “a true couturier and professional - John Galliano».
Previously, journalist Dana Thomas published the book “Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano,” which talked about the creation of fashion empires and their collapse.
Former art director of the Christian Dior fashion house, and founder of his eponymous brand. He became one of the few celebrities who realized their mistakes and learned from it.
had enormous influence after the death of Alexander McQueen, so he managed to work according to his own rules. At fashion shows you could see him in the image of a pirate, an astronaut, a Russian emigrant and a dandy. Even after 20 years in the fashion industry, he is still the same student who entered the fashion world.
John Galliano leads a double life. Today he is the designer of the House of Christian Dior, and thanks to him, this House is now associated not with a venerable matron, but with an alluring siren. In the House of Dior, Galliano is “Monsieur Come il faut”: he is wearing a custom-made Dior three-piece suit made of dark wool, a soft felt hat is jauntily tilted to one side, and his nails are perfectly polished. His atelier is located on the chic Avenue Montaigne, just above the main Dior boutique, and he himself occupies an old mansion.
The next day he is John Galliano, designer of his own fashion house, located in a former doll factory. Dressed like a difficult teenager - huge shorts and a T-shirt, a black beret, a huge medallion on his bare chest and ski sunglasses with gold frames. He listens to club music and goes to the gym. He doesn’t drink and has given up coffee, but he always has a pack of Marlboros with him.
John Galliano is a darling of the fashion establishment, one of the most influential fashion creators in the world. He became the chief designer of the House of Dior and gave this House, frozen in its respectability, a second wind: he shook off the mothballs, brought in a fresh stream, made it fashionable and desirable. Sales are growing and business is booming. And at the shows, in the front row there is a whole gallery of stars: from Nicole Kidman and Demi Moore to Celine Dion and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Now he turned his attention to Russia - the first Dior boutique opened in Moscow in November 1997. Galliano himself has never been here, but Russia inspires him, and he says he dreams of coming.
“Monsieur Dior was the God of fashion,” says Galliano. “He is the one you dream of as a child. I never imagined that I would become a designer for Dior - never, not even in my wildest dreams. Sometimes I want to pinch myself to make sure that it's not a dream".
He is inspired by the fact that he has the honor of leading a fashion house with half a century of history into the new millennium.
Best of the day
An absolute romantic, nostalgic for the 18th century, he creates for today. She loves quirks, piles up jewelry, embroidery, fringe, appliqués - and at the same time can tailor a simple dress in such a way that it will be the ultimate dream. A born showman, known throughout the world, he can describe all the technical subtleties of the cut of an 18th-century vest with his eyes closed.
Galliano was simply made for Dior, primarily because he shares his all-consuming passion for femininity. As he himself says: “Dior idolized female beauty, so in today’s models we try to emphasize the lines of the chest, waist, and hips.” Dior's new image of the woman is sensual, decadent, recklessly romantic. An arrogantly raised chin, a cascading peridot necklace and milky pearl earrings. The mermaid dress, cut on the bias, is dusty lilac or perhaps inky black, with a train painted with lilies. And as a final touch - dizzyingly high heels. “This is a woman who enjoys her femininity,” confirms Galliano. “We tried to imagine what Dior would create if he were alive today.”
Unbridled imagination is a characteristic feature of John Galliano. Sketches, sketches, scraps of fabric - all this will come later. Galliano's designs begin with the feminine image. This could be a historical figure, a heroine from a novel, or simply a figment of his imagination. “I am inspired by the personality. I imagine what this woman was like, what she wore, what she would like to wear, where she lived, who her lovers were,” says Galliano. “Maybe she fled from Russia, like Grand Duchess Anastasia,” this the statement refers to his collection "Princess Lucrezia" (spring-summer 1994).
The image of Princess Lucretia he invented arose from a newspaper article he accidentally read about the study of the remains of the royal family found in Yekaterinburg: Tsar Nicholas, Tsarina Alexandra and only three of the five children. Galliano was so captivated by the story that he created a collection of voluminous ball gowns, satin quilted capes and taffeta skirts that his mythical runaway princess might wear.
When working on a new collection, Galliano even changes his own style to match its spirit. “Clothing is a way of self-expression and part of the creative process,” he says. “I turned into a car dealer, a gypsy or a matador.” He speaks in the past tense, as he now tries to dress neutrally: “I gave away too many secrets, using characteristic details of the future collection in my own appearance.”
Having conjured up a female image, Galliano begins to collect a collection of sketches, book illustrations, engravings, quotes, and clippings from old illustrated magazines. He is interested in everything: hairstyles, buttons, embroidery. For example, the selection of illustrations for the collection “Princess Lucretia” is simply a chronicle of old Russia. Here is Peter I in a camisole, and details of a hussar costume, and even notes like: watch the film “Doctor Zhivago”.
Such searches are very important for Galliano’s work, which may be why he completely divided the work on the Dior and Galliano lines. All research for Dior is carried out in Paris, mainly the study of the “wonderful Dior archives.” For the development of Galliano's line, the main place is New York. Previously, it was London, the Victoria and Albert Museum, where Galliano used to go as a student, make sketches and study the works of Madeleine Vionnet, the great couturier of the 1930s. “But walking through a street market is just as exciting as looking at vintage fabrics,” says Galliano. “Even if I’m just going to clubs with friends, it inspires me. My friend DJ Jeremy Healy makes music for my shows, and in his free time takes me to clubs all over England." The culmination of the creative process is a show - a fashion show and theatrical performance at the same time. Instead of the usual invitation, each guest is sent a souvenir - for example, a bracelet with charms, a ballet slipper, a leopard-print handbag - to immediately set him up to expect something extraordinary. Galliano then lures guests to an exotic location - perhaps a ruined theatre, a botanical garden or a Parisian rooftop, populated by such colorful figures as tango dancers, tightrope walkers or Indian rajahs.
At this moment, the woman of your dreams should materialize and appear before the eyes of enthusiastic fans. Thus, the Dior woman exists in an atmosphere of aristocratic decadence - here she is in her boudoir, falling on a couch with high-fluffed pillows, and here she is gliding along the steps of the Paris Grand Opera, accompanied by the scent of a thousand blooming roses. Galliano's woman needs a more eccentric scenario: a gypsy camp, a tea party in a medieval castle, a seedy Berlin cabaret or a parking lot.
In his first collection in 1947, Christian Dior brought the chest-waist-hip silhouette to the catwalk, and it was immediately dubbed “The New Look.” New because Dior threw the gauntlet of extravagance into the face of a starved post-war Paris, dressed in boring, shapeless jackets and baggy old lady skirts. He created, or rather designed, a jacket that outlined the chest and emphasized the waist; skirts that drape miles of fabric over the hips. The "New Image" split Paris - whether it was adored or hated. The resulting public outcry made Dior famous overnight. He opened his House at 30 Avenue Montaigne (where it is still located today) and decorated it in his favorite colors of gray and white. During his ten-year career, he became the number one couturier in the world and the arbiter of Parisian elegance and chic.
After the glory of the 50s, the House of Dior gradually began to lose popularity, and by 1996, when Galliano arrived there, it was known primarily for suits for middle-aged ladies and bourgeois ballgowns. Galliano is very diplomatic about his role: “I think we've shaken off the cobwebs a little, made things lighter. I mean, jackets used to just stand like a stake,” he smiles mischievously. “Our jackets are still quite traditional and fit perfectly, but they are designed for the easy-going woman who doesn’t mind flying to New York for lunch.”
"The Dior woman is a true Parisian, whose image began to fade over time. I wanted to revive it, to give the world exactly what it expects from Dior." In practice, these beautiful words hide quite prosaic things. “We revised the designs, began to use high-tech materials, new dyes, but,” Galliano emphasizes, “we still maintain a stunning cut.”
He completely shifted the focus to eveningwear (sales of eveningwear now account for 80% of all finished products, compared to 20% in the past), introduced his famous bias cut and updated the fur collection.
And yet Galliano does not talk about the main thing - about the cult of Dior, which he managed to revive. This cult means that Dior is now trendy again; that his shows should not be missed under any circumstances; that Nicole Kidman is sitting in the front row; that Galliano's girlfriends Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell appear at celebrations in clothes from Dior.
Today Galliano is a world fashion star and must follow a strict schedule. He rushes between the House of Dior and his own and makes twelve collections a year.
But it was not always so. He was born in Gibraltar in 1960, and when John (then Juan Carlos Antonio) was six years old, the family moved to London. His father was a plumber, and his mother took care of the children - she taught them to dance flamenco on the kitchen table and dressed them up, as Galliano recalls, “for any occasion - even just to walk to the corner.”
At school he drew all the time - “telephones and flowers.” Then he studied at St. Martin's, the most prestigious English college of fashion and design, and was ready to go to New York, where a job as a fashion illustrator awaited him. For his graduation collection on the theme of the French post-revolutionary movement, “The Incredibles,” he created eight outfits that were literally swept off the catwalk by one of London’s largest boutiques. And then Diana Ross came to this boutique and bought a vest. Thus began the legend of John Galliano.
“It was a crazy summer,” he recalls. “My parents went to Spain, I settled at their house and made one vest after another. I bought the fabrics myself, dyed them myself, sewed the vests, delivered them and repeated everything all over again.”
Galliano never went to New York. Instead, he became an overnight prodigy of London fashion. Season after season, he created amazing things that delighted everyone, but the “breakthrough,” including the financial one, still did not come. In the early 90s, Galliano left London and went to Paris to seek his fortune. He arrives there penniless, sleeps on the floor in a friend's apartment. One of his friends lends him several square meters of his factory. Galliano is engaged in design and is trying to scrape together some funds and find financial support.
And then his time comes. In March 1994, when fashion was mired in deconstruction and burlap dresses and bony models filled the catwalks, Galliano launched his challenge. He released a brilliant collection full of extravagant luxury. It included only seventeen unique outfits - against at least eighty exhibited by other houses. It was demonstrated by seventeen of the world's best models, such as Linda Evangelista, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, and all this took place in an abandoned mansion, where dusty chandeliers poetically descended to the floor and the wind blew leaves throughout the hall. This semi-theatrical performance brought beauty back to the world of fashion and established Galliano in the top league of world designers. Two years later, an invitation followed from the House of Dior.
Ask Galliano about his favorite, most memorable moment - a long silence follows. Then he will say very quietly: "I did a collection called 'Fallen Angels', inspired by the Directory era - a lot of muslin dresses. And just before the girls came on the catwalk, I doused them with a bucket of water - it was fashionable to wear dresses wet then. This it was something! Just a fairy tale!”
(eng. John Galliano, born November 28, 1960, Gibraltar, UK) - world famous British, winner of numerous awards. He is the creator of the John Galliano brand. From 1996 to 2011, John Galliano held the position of the women's line. Known for his shocking style, behavior and avant-garde. In October 2014, John received an official appointment to the post of art director of the Maison Martin Margiela Fashion House.
Biography and career
Childhood and early career
John Galliano was born on November 28, 1960 in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory. Birth name: Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano Guillen. His father worked as a plumber and was an Englishman with Italian roots. Galliano's mother was of Spanish descent. John grew up and was raised with two sisters in strict discipline and an atmosphere of piety.
As a child, Galliano took flamenco dancing lessons.
At school, John was often bullied by his peers because of his appearance and poverty. The main joy of a child in those years was fashion magazines. He studied them greedily and dreamed of wearing clothes from famous brands. He was incredibly attracted to the career of a designer.
In 1966, the entire Galliano family moved to London.
In 1979, John entered the Central Saint MartinsCollege of Art and Design. Throughout his years of study, college teachers noted John Galliano's talent and ability to work. At the same time, he worked as a costume designer at the London National Theatre.
In 1984, Galliano created a women's collection as his graduation work. « Incredible » , consisting of 8 outfits, in the spirit of the times of the French bourgeois revolution of 1789. After the show, the owners of the avant-garde clothing store Brown’s approached him and offered cooperation: to exhibit a collection « Incredible » in the window of this boutique and provide financial support to John to open his own brand. The first famous fan of the aspiring fashion designer's clothes was Diana Ross.
“It was a crazy summer. My relatives left for Spain, and I, settling in their house, began to sew one outfit after another. I bought fabrics myself, dyed them, sewed outfits and delivered them myself.”
In 1984, Galliano registered his own brand, John Galliano. That same year, with the support of Joan Burstein, owner of Brown’s boutique, the designer presented a women’s collection called “Afghanistan Rejects Western Ideals” at . Galliano's headpieces for this work were created by Stephen Jones. After the show, John met publisher Amanda Harlech, who later became his personal stylist.
This was followed by the collections “Absurd Games”, “Fallen Angels” and “Forgotten Innocence”, which also had a stunning success.
In 1986, John Galliano opened his own studio on Kings Road in London.
In 1987, John Galliano presented the Blanche Dubois collection in the style of the works of Japanese deconstructionist fashion designers such as Yoshi Yamamoto. The collection was inspired by Blanche, the heroine of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire.
In 1990, John Galliano presented his collection at. In 1992, the designer moved to Paris for permanent residence. His collections continued to attract public interest, but due to the financial crisis in Europe they were not in demand.
In 1993, John Galliano created the collection “The Escape of the Young Princess Lucrezia from Bolshevik Russia.” The designer was inspired to create it by images of Russian women in 19th-century literature, in particular Sonya Marmeladova and Anna Karenina. The work included fur capes, lush and richly decorated. Despite rave reviews from critics and the press, the collection was not sold out. John Galliano's sponsor left; the designer didn't even have money for food or a hotel room. He began to make a living by selling his sketches.
"We only had time to show 17 outfits, but every one of them was beautiful."
Participated in the John Galliano fall-winter 1994/1995 show, and others. Galliano's work was a stunning success.
In 1995, Bernard Arnault, the president of the conglomerate, approached John Galliano. He invited the fashion designer to become an art director. For 11 months, Galliano developed collections for the Fashion House and.
John Galliano and Christian Dior
In October 1996, John Galliano was appointed creative director of the Christian Dior women's line. The designer managed to breathe new life into this legendary House, give it freshness and introduce new fashion trends into it. The fashion designer had at his disposal the best materials and the opportunity to realize the craziest ideas. The main sources of inspiration for John Galliano were fashion history and art.
Galliano paid special attention to the artistic design of his shows. Each new John Galliano show for Christian Dior became a real sensation. resembled a theatrical performance: he turned the tennis stadium in the Bois de Boulogne into thickets, Waterloo Station into a desert, and the Orangerie of the Palace of Versailles into a 150-meter podium flooded with water. An important part of the shows was the appearance of Galliano himself. Each time John chose a new image for himself and the public always looked forward to his appearance.
With the arrival of John Galliano, the profit of the Fashion House increased several times. Editors of fashion publications and world celebrities (Madonna, Milla Jovovich, Nicole Kidman, etc.) began to attend Christian Dior shows. The designer also continued to develop his own brand, John Galliano. With the support of the LVMH conglomerate, Galliano opened a workshop in a former Parisian doll factory.
In 1996, for the 50th anniversary of Christian Dior, John Galliano presented the African Women collection. The designer combined in it the motifs of the historical costume of the Art Nouveau era and the style of the 1930s. With .
On December 10, 1996, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fashion House in New York, Princess Diana wore a dark blue floor-length Christian Dior dress designed by John Galliano. The laconic, elegant outfit was trimmed with lace.
In 1997, John Galliano decided to conquer the Russian market. In the fall, the first Christian Dior opened in Moscow.
In 2004, John Galliano presented a Christian Dior collection inspired by Egyptian traditions. It also included dresses with a narrow bodice, complemented by voluminous hemlines. The designer also used various methods. He suggested wearing outfits with stoles and voluminous capes. Galliano used geometric and also images of pharaohs as patterns.
In 2007, John Galliano entered into a licensing agreement with Selective Beauty to produce perfumes under his own brand.
In 2009 and 2010 John Galliano designed the Christmas tree for London's Claridge's Hotel.
In July 2010, Penelope Cruz married Javier Bardem wearing a dress designed by John Galliano.
In 2011, at Paris Fashion Week, John Galliano presented the John Galliano men's collection fall-winter 2011/2012. The designer was inspired to create it by the dramatic images of Russian wanderers, as well as an exhibition dedicated to Russian ballet, which was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Models took to the podium in colorful images of rough coachmen, esauls, robbers, tipsy peasants and ballet dancers.
In the same year, Galliano's last show for Christian Dior took place in Paris, at the Rodin Museum. Instead of John, the brand's atelier workers took the final bow.
“This show felt like I was attending a funeral for someone who was still alive.”
Giovanna Batalha, stylist and fashion director of Vogue Gioiello
John Galliano scandal
On February 24, 2011, while heavily intoxicated, Galliano began making unflattering remarks towards the Jewish couple Philippe Virgiti and Geraldine Bloch. In response to these insults, the woman asked who Galliano considers himself to be: “a blond Aryan with blue eyes?” The outrageous designer said that he loved Hitler, and people like his interlocutors should not exist in the world. John Galliano was then taken to the police station and released after 4 hours of questioning. The prosecutor's office opened a criminal case for petty hooliganism and insults of a racist and anti-Semitic nature. On the same day, a video recording of Galliano’s statements spread across the Internet.
On March 1, 2011, Sidney Toledano, president of Christian Dior, announced the dismissal of John Galliano from the fashion house due to the designer's anti-Semitic statements.
“What has happened over the past week has been a painful and severe test for all of us. It was extremely sad to see the Dior name associated with offensive statements made by its designer, no matter how brilliant a designer he was. Christian Dior does not tolerate any manifestations of racism or discrimination based on nationality, and any public violation of this law by its employees is punishable by excommunication from the House.”
Sydney Toledano
Public opinion was divided. Some condemned Galliano for intolerance and anti-Semitic views, others justified the designer’s action as being excessively tired, and called these statements an accidental oversight.
“It’s mind-boggling that 15 years of his amazing work just evaporated because of this terrible scandal and the terrible and unacceptable things he said. It’s really a shame that such an accidental mistake by a drunken genius undoes everything he has achieved in life.”
Jenny Burchfield, journalist
John worked at Christian Dior for about 15 years, replacing the famous Italian couturier in this post. Most fashion critics believe that no contemporary designer has a chance to surpass Galliano.
John Galliano after leaving Christian Dior
After the scandal, Galliano was not only fired from Christian Dior, but also deprived of the right to create collections for his own brand or participate in any fashion projects. LVMH has officially stated that the designer “will never work” for their company.
After the incident, on the advice of Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, John Galliano went to a rehabilitation clinic.
On July 1, 2011, the official wedding of Kate Moss and Jamie Hinch took place. For his girlfriend, Galliano created a wedding dress with a train.
“Creating Kate’s wedding dress was my creative rehabilitation. It literally saved me. Kate gave me hope and I decided to prove that despite everything they say about me, I am still myself."
In February 2013, the women's collection autumn-winter 2013/2014 was shown. John Galliano worked on it together. The media began to discuss the designer’s possible return to the world of fashion and talk about his further collaboration with Oscar de la Renta.
“I wish he would stay. Will he stay? I can't tell you today. Because when discussing this topic, we did not go that far. We cannot give an exact answer now, but this issue is being discussed.”
Oscar de la Renta in an interview with New York Magazine
In April 2013, information appeared in the press that John Galliano would give several master classes on the topic “Show Me Emotions” for students at Parsons School. One of the Jewish public organizations spoke out against Galliano’s teaching, collecting over 2,000 signatures from students of this institution. A few weeks later it became known that the course that the designer was supposed to teach was cancelled. Specific reasons for terminating the preliminary agreement were not given.
In 2013, the July issue published the first interview with John Galliano since his departure from Christian Dior. He told Ingrid Sischy that after the scandal he met with representatives of the Jewish community and read a lot about the Holocaust. Galliano emphasized that he is not a racist and considers the words he uttered at La Perle to be the worst he has ever said in his life. John said that in the last months before the scandal he used drugs and alcohol, and if not for this incident, which cost him his career, he could have ended up in a mental hospital or died.
In the summer of the same year, John Galliano became a guest on the American talk show Charlie Rose. In a conversation with Charlie Rose, the designer spoke about his addictions and rehabilitation period, and his feelings of guilt for anti-Semitic statements. Subsequently, this interview formed the basis of the play “Little John”, created by the annual magazine Vestoj. The premiere of the theatrical production will take place on December 10, 2013 at the David Lynch Club. On February 4, 2014, the performance will be shown at the London College of Fashion.
In October 2013, John Galliano became a guest editor for the December issue of Vogue UK. The designer also starred with Kate Moss for this issue.
On May 22, 2014, John Galliano took over the position of creative director of the L’Etoile cosmetics chain. The official appointment took place at the Barvikha Luxury Village concert hall in Moscow. In his new position, Galliano will develop his own line of cosmetic products and accessories, “L’Etoile selection,” and also promote it. On the same day, John visited the “Evening Urgant” show on Channel One.
In October 2014, Maison Martin Margiela officially confirmed that John Galliano would take over as creative director of the brand. Galliano's return to the world of high fashion, which everyone had been so eagerly awaiting for three years, has finally taken place. Renzo Rosso, who owns Maison Martin Margiela, said that he considers John Galliano a unique couturier with incredible charisma and talent, and therefore has no doubt about their successful collaboration: “His past is the past. And our company will not comment on it in any way. A designer should be judged by his collections, and not judged for past mistakes.”
At the end of 2014, the protracted trial of John Galliano against Christian Dior and John Galliano ended. A Paris court recognized John's dismissal as legal and ordered him to pay compensation to his former employers in the amount of 1 euro. Previously, the same court accepted a claim from the fashion designer against the companies in the amount of 2 to 13 million euros, respectively. Galliano accused his former employers of illegal dismissal; the opposite side, in turn, emphasized that the designer was never their employee, but was only an independent contractor.
On December 1, the British Fashion Awards ceremony took place in London. On this day, Anna Wintour received the award for outstanding achievements in the fashion industry. The longtime editor of Vogue US and editorial director of Condé Nast received the award from the hands of John Galliano. The fashion designer's speech became one of the most emotional moments of the evening. John thanked Anna for her support during his ups and downs. The designer emphasized that Wintour did not stop communicating with him even when he was an outcast for the entire fashion world.
On January 12, 2015, a long-awaited event took place: John Galliano presented the Maison Martin Margiela Couture spring-summer 2015 collection. Restraint, surrealism, deconstructivism and high sartorial art - these words can describe Galliano’s work for the Italian brand. John offered elegant long velvet dresses, seductive black trouser suits, ultra-short denim shorts, a dress made of cut ribbons, chiffon evening dresses with many intricate details, and a raincoat with decor imitating sea shells. One of the memorable passages was the fashion show of a model with her face covered with a fancy mask made of pearls, a crown and precious stones. The show took place in an atmosphere of complete secrecy. Galliano personally invited only 180 guests to the show and forbade publication on social networks.
“Attention to detail, splashes of scarlet, lots of decorations and impeccable tailoring: John Galliano returned to the catwalk...What he showed in London was a powerful mixture of beauty, a minimum of provocation and the skills he has acquired over all these years. Those who will undoubtedly criticize the fact of Galliano's return will be poorer than him. John is one of the most talented designers of his age, and in this work he has done everything in his power to pay the bills for past misdeeds."
Susie Menkes
In February 2015, journalist Dana Thomas released the book Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. In this work, Thomas spoke about the dizzying success and downfalls of two legendary fashion designers, about their passion for fashion, outrageous shows and personal tragedies.
In May 2015, an unprecedented event took place at the Central London Synagogue: John Galliano spoke as a speaker at a discussion about fashion, the designer spoke about the difficult times after being fired from Dior, about the use of alcohol and drugs during his work in this House. When asked what would have happened if not for that anti-Semitic scandal, Galliano replied: “I think I would already be dead.”
In June, Renzo Rosso, owner of Maison Margiela, noted that the brand’s sales had increased by 20% and emphasized that the company owes such success to “a true couturier and professional - John Galliano.”
1987, 1994, 1995, 1997.
Awards
- "Designer of the Year" from the British Fashion Council.
- 1997. "Best Foreign Designer of the Year" for his work for Christian Dior from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
- 2001. Commander of the British Empire. The award was presented to John Galliano by Queen Elizabeth II.
- 2008. André Leon Talley Award for Lifetime Achievement in Fashion from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
- 2009. Knight of the French Legion of Honor. The award was presented by the 23rd President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy.
On August 20, 2012, the 24th President of France, Francois Hollande, signed a decree depriving Galliano of the title of Knight of the Legion of Honor.
Celebrity biographies
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28.11.14 09:16
His mother was Spanish and loved to dress up children and teach them the basics of flamenco. My father was a more “down-to-earth” person, because British blood flowed in his veins, and his job was the most prosaic - a plumber.
Creative streak
Juan Carlos Antonio (this is the full name of the fashion designer) was born 54 years ago in the overseas territory of Great Britain, in Gibraltar. Galliano absorbed his future shockingness, courage and brightness of the images he created along with the milk of his expansive mother.
The boy went to an English school - for this the family moved to his father’s homeland, London. During lessons, he was absent-minded and painted his notebooks and textbook covers with flowers and other patterns - even then his creative streak was dormant.
St. Martin's College of Design happily welcomed the future celebrity into its walls; John was one of the best students with a well-developed imagination and taste. Galliano's graduation work, "The Incredibles," was enchanting - he took historical French outfits as the basis for the collection (during his studies, he worked part-time in the theater, where he became seriously interested in ancient costumes). The collection consisted of eight suits - they were immediately taken up for sale by the owners of the Brawn’s boutique. This success prevented Galliano from going to New York by invitation (he had a job as a fashion illustrator waiting for him there). Diana Ross, who visited the store, started the legend called “Galliano” by purchasing a vest from the novice couturier.
Conquer the fashion capital
John became one of the trendsetters in the British capital, but his collections did not bring much financial success, and he left to conquer Paris. The young genius didn't have a penny. He was sheltered by a former classmate, at whose factory the designer began working part-time.
There was still no sponsor, but March 1994 brought the couturier a happy meeting - the editor of the American edition of Vogue Anna Wintour acted as the “fairy godmother”. She supported the young talent and helped finance the debut Paris collection.
The title was inspiring - “Fallen Angels”. Supermodels showed off 17 jet-black outfits, including Evangelista, Campbell and Moss. Galliano shocked the audience by dousing the girls with water before going on the podium. Since then, each fashion designer's show has been more like a theatrical performance.
“Reanimation” of Dior’s House
The year 1995 brought Galliano new success - he was asked to become the creative director of the Givenchy fashion house. Then the designer worked for Balenciaga.
And soon he headed the House of Christian Dior. Already the very first collection, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the corporation, created a sensation. Ethnic and historical motifs and pre-war retro chic were skillfully intertwined in the costumes. This magnificence was called “African”. The dominance of minimalism in the 1990s was defeated.
John Galliano managed to “reanimate” the Dior style, which had become conservative over the years. He based his collections on style icons from different eras – from Lucrezia Borgia to Scarlett O’Hara. Stage and film stars once again began to “adopt” clothes from Dior. Impeccable cut and the use of new technologies and fabrics - this is what the fashion designer professed.
Following Lagerfeld and Laurent, Galliano was awarded the Legion of Honor.
Such different lines
In parallel with his work at Christian Dior, the couturier also ran the John Galliano brand. These lines were strikingly different.
The first contained the chic characteristic of the works of the great maestro. A woman in Dior clothes is a kind of cutesy aristocrat of the early twentieth century.
And for his own brand, Galliano was inspired by the never-ending life of New York, the nightclubs of this noisy metropolis, and its fast pace.
In the John Galliano shows, the master did not constrain himself by any boundaries; at these performances one could see clowns or dancers frolicking against the backdrop of amazing scenery. A lady with a “dark” past ruled the show here, a regular at dubious cabarets and bars.
"Rejected" but not given up
There were no signs of trouble when, at the end of February 2011, the tabloids and the Internet were full of reports about an unpleasant incident that happened to the great fashion designer. While drunk, Galliano allowed himself offensive remarks about people with Asian features. It happened on February 24 in a Parisian bar.
The Dior fashion house decided to say goodbye to the brawler - their own reputation was more valuable to them. Indeed, that same evening, a drunken fashion designer was detained and accused of anti-Semitism. And a strange video instantly appeared on the Internet, where a man resembling a couturier almost confesses his love for Hitler.
Not everyone supported Dior's management; many colleagues and models, including Natalia Vodianova, spoke out in defense of Galliano, because anyone can make a mistake. Alcohol is to blame for everything - they decided so, because they know the fashion designer as a kind and sensitive person; it is not clear what kind of demon possessed him then.
The first show after Galliano's dismissal turned out to be quite sad - the first rows were empty.
In September 2011, the court found the couturier guilty; he had to pay a fine of 6 thousand euros.
But on the “personal front” it was quiet and peaceful - John has been living with stylist Alexis Roche for many years.
At the beginning of 2013, Oscar de la Renta turned to the “outcast” - he offered him a studio. Galliano accepted a helping hand and returned to his favorite work - the new collection again featured many rich details and luxurious finishes.
In 2015, the designer made his debut at London Fashion Week as creative director of Maison Martin Margiela. His new works delighted the audience; as usual, he was very theatrical.