Haute Historian: The Rise And Fall Of John Galliano

John_Galliano
At the end of each fashion show, John Galliano would strut the runway looking like an entirely different person. The end of his flower-inspired Fall 2010 Couture collection for Dior found a stylized botanist Galliano. Sea captain Galliano made an appearance at the end of his island-inspired Dior Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear collection.
Galliano had always had style. He was born Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano-Guillen in Gibralter, a UK overseas territory that borders Spain, on Nov. 28, 1960. His family wasn’t rich, but his mother always dressed him immaculately, even though he was often teased at school. Later, he would spend a short stint at City and East London College, before enrolling at Central Saint Martins once he realized he had a talent for drawing.
Upon graduating in 1984, Galliano was already making a name for himself. His degree project, based on the French Revolutionaries Les Incroyables, was incredibly successful, and was bought by Joan Bernstein of Brown’s department store. He held his first presentation that fall, and made his London Fashion Week runway debut in 1985. After, his fame rose quickly. He was named British Designer of the Year for the first time in 1987. After years of developing his own line, Galliano was appointed head designer of Givenchy in 1995 before moving on to creative director of Christian Dior in 1996. He became known for his feminine, romantic design aesthetic that was often inspired by history and always maintained a contemporary air. His fanciful runway shows, which would often transport viewers to another world, are infamous. He would go on to win numerous awards and honors, create instant best-sellers and trend-makers, and launch lingerie lines, jewelry collections, fragrances and more.
Galliano’s fashion career screeched to a halt in February 2011 when videos surfaced showing a drunken Galliano, yelling an anti-semitic rant in a Paris café. He was consequently fired from Dior and from his eponymous brand. Galliano refuted the validity of his drunken claims, arguing that he doesn’t really feel that way. But the damage was already done. After a brief trial, Galliano sought help for his addictions. But it wasn’t long before Galliano started to inch his way back into the fashion world. He designed Kate Moss’s wedding dress in July 2011, and spent three weeks as a resident in Oscar de la Renta’s design studio in January 2013.
For the first time since his downfall, he gave an interview to Vanity Fair’s Ingrid Sischy, which is out this month. In it, he expresses his remorse and explains how addiction and overworking led to his career demise. He also recently gave an hour-long television interview on Charlie Rose. While Galliano’s next move is uncertain, his talent and contributions to fashion have created an everlasting mark on the world.
1. John Galliano by Irving Penn, published in Vogue, November 1996, Voguepedia.com
2. John Galliano by Paolo Roversi, 2006, Vogue.co.uk
3. John Galliano Fall 2010 Menswear, Style.com
4. John Galliano Spring 2011 RTW, Style.com
5. Dior Spring 2011 Couture Collection, Bloginity.com
– Tanisha Wallis
Source: Voguepedia.com

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