John Galliano

• Was designer of Givenchy, Dior (1996 - 2011) and own line John Galliano 
• Enjoyed critical acclaim from fashion press, and celebrity status because of his ability to interpret the past in a larger-than-life way and create the excitement of couturiers of yesteryear 
• His collections offer romance and theatrical imagination that affects all facets of the industry 
• Fantastical qualities of fashion design, approaches the process in such a focused and obsessional way that the results of his creativity cannot help but excite and enthuse 
• Began with experimental cutting of fabrics and alternative ways of putting pieces together—lead to understanding of precisely just how a jacket had been put together in the past; how to put it together correctly in the present 
• Finds relevant connections between historical and contemporary time periods, such as the French Revolution and the 1980s London club scene, and uses them to create postmodern masterpieces 
• Inspired by African, Mongolia, China and Japan cultures 
• Having worked in theatre, Galliano takes the view that fashion is a story—an image or identity that we affect to manipulate the viewer 

Recurring themes

• Fashion dandies of the 18th century 
• Homage collections inspired by Dior 
• Strong and stylish women of the past 
• Attracted to dramatic non-Western countries - Russia, Maasai people of Africa, Japan, China, Mongolia, Egypt 
• Looked to for his choice of iconography that has relevance to contemporary audience 

Fairy-tale fashion

• Ability to play with and combine so many rich style influences from the past allows Galliano a romance and excitement that is not often felt in contemporary market 
• Criticized for wastefulness, costs millions to produce the theatricality of his shows 

Designers influenced by Galliano 

• Zac Posen - adopted Galliano's alternative constructions and draping techniques that allow them to create arresting interpretations of history - eye for richly colored textured fabrications 
• Oscar de la Renta 
• Junya Watanabe - the bias cut that Galliano helped make popular 

"Early on, I realized how important it is just to be curious. You mustn't be frightened or hide behind preconceived ideas. You have to experiment. You just do it and it's beautiful because you discover an energy that feeds you. There are no rules" — Galliano