Originally written for Liberty Belle (February 2015), read it here.
Last month saw the unveiling of John Galliano’s first collection for his new design home, Maison Margiela (the “Martin” having been dropped shortly after his arrival). The Artisanal collection was, unusually, presented in London rather than Paris and attached to the end of the menswear shows, suggesting a wish for the designer to return to the fashion world quietly and without his usual trademark fanfare.
The collection itself was beautiful and proved that Galliano’s extravagant, decadent design style does indeed have a place at Margiela, the infamous house of minimalism, despite doubts across the fashion community. The clothes showed a remarkable marrying of the two concepts. A simplistic colour palette of neutrals, black and red blended seamlessly into extravagant shapes and highly intricate gold embellishments, demonstrating Galliano’s undeniable vision and skill as a designer. There were hints of showgirl glamour in glimpses of leopard print through multiple layers of sheer material, a nod to his showboating collections of seasons past. The humour of the Margiela brand was also seen in the bizarre faces constructed out of everyday objects on the front of several garments, as well as in the see-through PVC pockets. One of Margiela’s most famed concepts is deconstruction, which Galliano engaged with refreshingly in his choice to have models wearing the toiles of the same garments heading in the reverse direction, revealing the process which proceeded the final designs.
By all accounts, this was a triumphant return for the designer and for his many, many fans in the fashion world. However, it is important to bear in mind what Galliano has returned from. Four years ago, footage of him being abusive and anti-Semitic towards a group of Italian women surfaced on the internet. He was subsequently dropped from Christian Dior, his employer at the time, and forced to pay reparations and a fine of €6,000 by the French courts. He was also sent to rehab for drug and alcohol abuse as this is what he argued, alongside stress, caused his outburst. He was rightfully exiled from the fashion world for this abusive behaviour, until now. There are some, many in fact, who feel that Galliano has paid his dues by being absent for so long, he has even been granted a pardon by a respected rabbi. The fashion world, including Anna Wintour, is rallying round him and hailing his return as triumphant, divine, the Second Coming.
While Galliano may well have repented for his actions, the language surrounding his return in the mainstream fashion media is troubling. Several news outlets described him as “the disgraced designer”, but made no further references to the offence he caused other than calling it an indiscretion. Many framed his return in terms of him having a “point to prove” or asked how good his clothes for Margiela would have to be for him to earn forgiveness. The very fact that he has been able to return shows that he has been forgiven by the fashion world. Galliano’s anti-Semitic comments and his return to fashion are linked, but not by the quality of his designs. There is no denying that he is a talented designer, but this is not exactly the point.
In a cultural climate where attacks on synagogues happen on average about three times a week in France, the home of Maison Margiela, I am uncomfortable about his return. The video of his tirade is shocking and violent in its language: he directly wishes death upon the women in front of him and brings up the notorious gassings of the Nazi extermination camps. He proclaims that he loves Hitler. Should this all just be swept under the carpet because the man makes great clothes? Many European fashion houses are built on the back of Nazism. Coco Chanel was a spy for the Gestapo and made her money by providing details of Jewish families. Hugo Boss made suits for Hitler’s officers. Elsa Schiaparelli apparently had fascist ties. The pattern of designers profiting from the suffering of the marginalised is well documented throughout European fashion history.
Racism and prejudice are rife within the fashion industry, from white-washing and white-only runway shows to cultural appropriation in both design and editorials. Jourdan Dunn is the first solo black woman on a British Vogue cover in 12 years and magazine pages are regularly filled with uniform white models who conform to Eurocentric standards of beauty. Racism is a historical and current problem in fashion which we cannot run from but must confront it to change it. I loved John Galliano. I have always admired his designs. The Christian Dior couture collection Spring 2011 is one of my favourite collections of all time and his Marie Antoinette collection inspired my Textiles final major project when I was at college. His designs are brilliant and visionary, but his return is a move backwards for the fashion industry, not a progressive look towards a more inclusive future. The clothes do not erase his past. We must be careful in forgiving prejudice and offensive remarks so easily as to stay silent is to allow these “indiscretions” to continue and worsen.
