John Galliano to Take the Reins at Maison Martin Margiela
Posted on October 7, 2014
It's official John Galliano is back. He has just been hired as the creative director for Maison Martin Margiela. He also has a new look.
Galliano, an absolutely brilliant creative force, was unceremoniously fired by Dior in 2011 after a cellphone video surfaced showing Galliano making racist and anti-Semitic slurs at Le Perle bar in Paris. Galliano was drunk as Cooter Brown and went off on a couple who had somehow raised his ire. Galliano shared his love for Hitler and suggested that a woman's parents should have been gassed. He also hurled an epithet at an Asian man drinking in the bar. The reaction was swift and immediate. He was charged in the Paris courts and was fired by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, which owns Dior and Galliano's own label.Natalie Portman, who is Jewish, issued a statement that she wanted nothing to do with Galliano and condemning his statements. He went from being the toast of the town to being a fashion pariah. He was packed off to rehab for alcohol and substance abuse. Reports say he had a very serious alcohol problem and his condition was worsening.
Galliano completed rehab and issued multiple apologies for his behavior. Anna Wintour stood behind him and was behind his short-term gig at Oscar de la Renta. He has been making amends and staying out of the spotlight. Many wondered if his career was over. But others thought his clear substance abuse problems, his many apologies and his attempts to atone for his action were enough and he should be forgiven.
So now Galliano is the head of a Belgian fashion house that is best known for its enigmatic, mysterious founder who shunned all publicity. He departed the house in 2008. It is ironic that the head of the house is now one of the most infamous names in fashion. The fashion house said on Facebook, "Maison Martin Margiela welcomes a new era." It posted a photo of the studio with the words "welcome" in pink neon.
Galliano's first collection will appear on the Paris runways in January, 2015 and it will be the hottest ticket of the season, no question. Will he continue Margiela's more subdued esthetic? Will he bring theatricality to the house?
His new look may provide a clue. Gone is the goatee. Gone are the pirate ensembles. Instead, he is clean shaven and wearing a flawlessly tailored suit in the new photo released by Maison Martin Margiela. He looks fit, healthy and very sophisticated.
Reactions in the fashion world are generally positive. British Vogue is certainly happy about the appointment. Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman said, "It is wonderful for John to be able to do what he does so well. It's been a waste not being able to benefit from his extraordinary passion for the creation of clothes for the past three years."
Kanye West is definitely a Galliano fan. He tweeted his thoughts on the new appointment, saying that he had first heard the rumor when he was in Paris. He sounds pretty excited saying, "It is very exciting to see what powerful creatives do at different houses...Hedi at Saint Laurent, Nicolas at Vuitton and now John at Margiela."