#vanessa friedman

Maison Margiela S/S Couture 2015

And here he is. Galliano is among us. Again.

Apart from the great event that this return represented for the world of fashion, before taking a look at the collection i was wondering why everyone was saying that this collection was more Galliano than Margiela. I mean, since I knew Galliano was going to become the new creative director of the maison it was obvious for me that this was a match made in heaven: Mr Galliano’s eccentric style is basically perfect for the distort fairytale world of Margiela. But now that I saw the whole collection, I understand what people were saying.

No, it was not all about finding the little flaw just to criticise someone’s work - especially because basically everyone was waiting with excitement for Galliano’s return. This collection didn’t have the usual abstract quality that characterises Margiela’s work - oh, btw, it changed name to Maison Margiela only, thanks Vanessa Friedman for making me notice with your article - and everything, from inspiration to shapes to drama was a little bit toned down. Yes, I would say it was more Galliano, in the sense that it was more feminine and couture-like than a usual Maison Martin Margiela collection. Yet, it doesn’t mean what Galliano did has to be criticised.

Every brand has to face the arrival of new designers, and it’s impossible for the new arrived creative director not to put a little bit of himself in the creative process of the brand he takes over. So, how could you possibly expect such a strong and loud personality as Galliano totally conforming to someone else’s aesthetic? Instead, not only is it inevitable for a designer to transfer his own aesthetic to the brand he’s designing for, but it’s also an enriching moment for the brand in itself. Brands are like human beings, they evolve and change. It would be a pity if it wasn’t this way.

And talking about change, Galliano’s personality, as seen from his new creations, has transformed into something still recognisable but definitely different from what we were used to see. Sure, it’s partly because he’s not designing for his own line, but must, in some way, absorb some of the brand’s creative view; but after all, if you know Mr Galliano’s past work, you can see there’s a new softness to his work, a new subtler elegance, far from the revolutionary inspiration of his graduate collection at Central Saint Martin’s in the 80s, which made him so famous. And yet, even if understated, his looks were unbelievably strong.

Regal lace on black velvet gowns with plastic see-through pockets, A-line dresses and coats where fabric and leather applications design Picasso-like faces - is that an Arcimboldo composition that I’m seeing on the blood red trench-coat? - black glossy shells decorating a gothic bustier, a little black ribbon around a model’s neck, and then perfectly polished, strapless, straight black dresses, and long-sleeved plainly blood orange - it’s fucking red! - buttonless coats, and velvet, and leather. It seemed to be in front of the whole evolution happening in Galliano’s mind during these years away from the world of fashion. And the grand finale, the red avant-garde dress decorated by an explosion of EVERYTHING being part of Galliano’s history as well as Margiela’s: fake jewels, little mirrors, faux flowers, even a little face of something that looks like a Barbie. But doesn’t it look like, after all, as an explosion of those useless little things, feelings, emotions that we all have in our lives and that we store in what we call memory? Yes. Margiela’s artisanal collection this time was about memories. And it was about a designer, like Galliano, that no one talking about fashion can ever forget.

And he won’t be forgotten. He’s back and he’s ready to take over wearing a little strange crown with a pearl smile on his face, while looking forward to the future that is unfolding in front of him.

xxx