John Galliano Talks Maison Margiela in Rare Interview
John Galliano Talks Maison Margiela in Rare Interview
Designer John Galliano opened up to Business of Fashion on Saturday during a live interview to talk about his work at Maison Margiela, his first major appointment since his dismissal from Dior in 2011.
Brought onboard as the creative director in 2013, Galliano replaced a set of anonymous designers who had been producing the collections since Martin Margiela’s own departure in 2009. The house’s creator was known for his private nature, refusing photographs and never making the customary appearance at the close of fashion shows. The reasoning behind this was reportedly to draw the attention on fashion back to the clothing and away from the faces behind it. Galliano’s own reluctance to court the media and infrequent interviews align with Margiela’s demeanor, making his insight into the creator’s thought process no surprise. “I’m not there just to curate Martin Margiela,” Galliano told Business of Fashion. “I understand the psychology of Martin Margiela and use that for pushing things forward.”
The designer went on to remark how free he felt in this new position. “I feel much freer in this equation, my points of inspiration are much freer. I’m more open now. I leave things a bit more open. I’m more comfortable with chaos,” he stated in the interview. “The industry hasn’t changed — the shows, the deadlines, production — but my perspective has changed. I can go home relatively early and actually think about what I’ve done.”
Compared to the rigorous workload at Dior, working with the smaller team at Margiela no doubt contributes to this – Raf Simons’ accounts from his time at the luxury house attests to the stressful schedule that must be maintained. “You try to find a balance. I wanted to work more on my own terms. It’s not as bad as it used to be — that was exhausting.”
Galliano currently designs his own collection as well the collections at Maison Margiela. The designer’s initial collection for the house was received with great acclaim, and the departure from the collections of the previous seasons was unquestionable – texture, silhouette and colour exploded into the pieces. His work at Givenchy and Dior is still hailed today, despite the controversy surrounding his departure from the latter.
John Galliano Talks Maison Margiela in Rare Interview
