the 2027 met exhibition with the costume institute is focusing on the infamous john galliano, titled john galliano: horizons. this year's main sponsor was bezos, i guess obviously since he bought out conde nast. i lost interest in the whole thing, only seeing what social media brought to my attention, but i no longer put in effort to watch the red carpet and do extensive research.
john galliano is a fantastic and talented designer, one of the greats, dare i say. he's had a muddy history, though, expressing antisemitism through drunken slurs costed his career. he lived in the shadows until the most recent years and went to rehab in a desert area of arizona. with his documentary high and low that came out, and anna wintour shedding some light back to him, it seems like a slow return was beginning. law roach styled zendaya in a galliano gown a couple met galas ago, and his margiela 2024 runway was pivotal proof his genius was welcome back to mainstream fashion. i adored watching galliano for dior runway shows when high fashion twitter was in its peak, when i first moved here and had no life beyond a part-time job and part-time school. those shows were truly magical, and not many designers can compete to galliano's genius.
we often talk about separating the artist from the art, especially, for example, in conversations about kanye west. i think "cancel culture" is important on one hand, celebrities are less likely to be put on a pedestal or glamorized. but on the other hand, we're all sinners, right? here we are, back to celebrating galliano with an ode on the first monday of may 2027. his cancel culture purgatory is now officially over. it's crucial not to forget, but at the same time, a door for this fashion genius doesn't have to be locked forever.
i chose four runway shows - one from his own namesake brand, one during his givenchy era, one during his time with dior, and finally a more recent one with margiela. and for you guys, homework! a wear or tear segment for each, i'd love to see what your thoughts are on galliano's work.
a vampy flapper funeral meets a diary of a geisha, only with rare pops of color, often found on the plastic headpieces made by galliano himself because he ran out of money. vogue's review of the runway describes the cinderella story of galliano's lucky chance with this runway. the "venue" was a i almost thought they were phillip treacy's work. the blog thriftcon describes this show as "the blueprint for iconic fashion", describing how the models didn't just strut, "they performed". you saw every household name feeling so comfortable and effortless in needle-thin stilettos, draped in trenches with a slip underneath.
click on the link below for wear or tear.
a dim opera theater slowly lightens up with the first tones of whitney houston's "i will always love you". the models, in opulent, royal gowns slowly make their way down the richly decorated runway. the music starts to mesh with some 90s house music, and i am enamored by a white gown with golden beaded sleeves. if i had an infinite budget, perhaps that would be my wedding dress. one word to describe this first part: dreamy. a narrow but tall, surreal door opens and masculine yet sexy models in tuxedos walk down. they approach with fedora-hidden smirks, flirting with the audience. one word to describe this second part: fierce. an insanely fitted corset stands out not just by the creamy satin color contrasting all-black looks, but by the shockingly tiny waist the model had.
the third part seems like a mix of the first parts - satin robes with tulle hiding the model's face, revealing only a bit of frosty 90s makeup. then we have lighter shades of the tuxedos, and the final looks were announced in shades of chartreuse and fiery blood orange cleopatras. one word to describe the third part: regal.
according to vogue editor laird borrelli-persson described in the following review that the initial imagery evoked the likeness of princess and the pea, and that galliano's givenchy debut felt like a pea under the mattress of fashion industry, as this established parisian house was seemingly disrupted by a british punk newcomer, who is playing by his own couture rules.
click on the link below for the wear or tear.
we find galliano in a very chinese (?) time in his life. traditional asian music welcomes us to a revolving mirror, and a barbie pink geometric suited model, with details resembling origami folds.
galliano stated he was inspired by "pinkerton's affair with cio-cio san, madame butterfly", according to this vogue article. it's a wonderful homage to chinoiserie, from pat mcgrath's genius makeup strokes, to the wooden tabi shoes-turned-heels. the variety of material, manipulated to perfection in each crease and pleat, seems magical. from tree-like forms to traditional obis and kimonos. even the models' nails are worth watching! yet, the dior new look felt ever-present. the show ends with paper butterflies around the runway, and galliano himself, dressed like b.f. pickerton, perhaps. check out the wear or tear link for this fashion show below. spoiler: a teal and peach strapless gown with cherry blossom details was my fave look.
"a southern gothic tale unfolds in the dark, poetic heart of america as a sandstorm engulfs our story’s ill-fated lovers, count and hen. on the run and wounded from a gunfight, they drive through the arizona desert in a filmic haze as their pasts flash before their eyes: the wedding of their abusive single parents that made them involuntary step-siblings, the elation of hen’s pregnancy, and the subsequent parricide that turned them into outlaws at large. delirious from their getaway, they pull up to an isolated hotel only to discover that it is, in fact, a cinema. here, as they draw their last breaths, count and hen fall into a cinematic loop spun from the joys and traumas of their subconscious, their memories echoed in the iconic scenes of classic american films. chased by apparitions of the law, they end up where they set out, escaping through the sandstorm forever after."
it's pretty cool to see "the making" of a fashion film campaign, but it was a bit distracting from the clothes. who better to do theatricals than galliano, right? in this vogue article galliano states "i thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful to embrace fashion, theater, digital—all the cultures?" check out the wear or tear for this southern gothic story.
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