Galliano: Spectacular Fashion

396 Pages·2019·123.171 MB·English

by  Kerry Taylor

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BLOOMSBURY VISUAL ARTS
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First published in Great Britain 2020
Copyright © Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd, 2020
Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd has asserted its right under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as copyright holder of this work.
For legal purposes the Acknowledgements on p. 7 constitute an extension of this copyright page.
Cover design by Adriana Brioso
Cover image: John Galliano for the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2000.
(© JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP/Getty Images)
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The Collections
Introduction: The Genius of John Galliano 9
Early Days 11
1984 Graduation Show: Les Incroyables, BA Honours Degree show 14
1985 Spring/Summer: Afghanistan Repudiates Western Ideals 20
1985–86 Autumn/Winter: The Ludic Game 23
s 1985 The Courtelle Collection 28
1986 Spring/Summer: Fallen Angels 29
1986–87 Autumn/Winter: Forgotten Innocents 35
t 1987 Spring/Summer: Untitled (Panniers) 41
n 1987–88 Autumn/Winter: (The Rose) 45
1988 Spring/Summer: Blanche DuBois 50
1988–89 Autumn/Winter: (Hairclips) 54
e 1989 Spring/Summer: (Charles James) 58
1989–90 Autumn/Winter: Nancy Cunard 63
1990 Spring/Summer: (Greek widows, African football, 50s cocktail) 68
t
1990–91 Autumn/Winter: (Fencing) 72
n 1991 Spring/Summer: Honcho Woman 77
1992 Spring/Summer: Josephine Bonaparte Meets Lolita 82
1993 Spring/Summer: Filibustiers 87
o
1994 Spring/Summer: Princess Lucretia 92
1994–95 Autumn/Winter: Black 98
1995 Spring/Summer: Misia Diva (Pin Up) 103
c
1995–96 Autumn/Winter: Dolores 109
1996 Spring/Summer Galliano Ready-to-Wear: L’École de Danse 114

The Move to Givenchy 118
f
o
1996 Spring/Summer 120
Givenchy Haute Couture: The Princess and the Pea 120

1996–97 Autumn/Winter 124
e Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Baby Maker 124
Givenchy Ready-to-Wear: Toreador 127
Givenchy Haute Couture: Empress Josephine 130
l
b
1997 Spring/Summer 135
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: A Russian Gypsy Named O’Flanneghan (Circus) 135
Givenchy Ready-to-Wear: (Jane Austen goes to Marrakech) 138
a
t
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Galliano Arrives at Dior 141 2001–02 Autumn/Winter 220
Dior Ready-to-Wear: (Boxers, Boho & Rave) 220
Dior Haute Couture: Maasai 142 Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Techno-Romance 223
Dior Haute Couture: Rebel Chic 225
1997–98 Autumn/Winter 147
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Dior’s Little Sweetheart 2002 Spring/Summer 228
Pin-Ups 147 Dior Ready-to-Wear: Street Chic 228
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Suzy Sphinx 149 Galliano Ready-to-Wear: (Africa) 231
Dior Haute Couture: The Edwardian Raj Princesses Dior Haute Couture: From Mongolia to
chez Dior or Mata Hari 153 Russia 233
1998 Spring/Summer 156 2002–03 Autumn/Winter 236
Dior Ready-to-Wear: In a Boudoir Mood 156 Dior Ready-to-Wear: Funky Folklore 236
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Haute Bohemia 158 Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Esquimeau 238
Dior Haute Couture: A Poetic Tribute to the Dior Haute Couture: New Glamour 240
Marchesa Casati 161
2003 Spring/Summer 243
1998–99 Autumn/Winter 166 Dior Ready-to-Wear: Tough Chic 243
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Sportswear on Heels 166 Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Bollywood 245
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Cabaret 169 Dior Haute Couture: Hardcore Romance 248
Dior Haute Couture: A Voyage on the Diorient
Express or Princess Pocahontas 172 2003–04 Autumn/Winter 251
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Hardcore (Fetish and
1999 Spring/Summer 176 Japan) 251
Dior Ready-to-Wear: (Communist/ Galliano Ready-to-Wear: In the Mood 254
Constructivist) 176 Dior Haute Couture: Creating a New Dance 257
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Ballets Russes 178
Dior Haute Couture: Surrealism 180 2004 Spring/Summer 260
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Homage to Marlene 260
1999–2000 Autumn/Winter 183 Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Pretty Baby 262
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Sportswear 183 Dior Haute Couture: Egyptian 264
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: (Maori) 186
Dior Haute Couture: The New Generation or 2004–05 Autumn/Winter 267
Matrix 189 Dior Ready-to-Wear: (Teddy Boys & Poiret) 267
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Mapping the World 270
2000 Spring/Summer 192 Dior Haute Couture: Empress Sissi/Zsa Zsa
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Logomania 192 Gabor 272
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Music Icons 195
Dior Haute Couture: Les Clochards or 2005 Spring/Summer 275
Homeless 198 Dior Ready-to-Wear: The Latest Blonde 275
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Too Rich Too Walk 277
2000–01 Autumn/Winter 202 Dior Haute Couture: Edie Sedgwick Meets Empress
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Fly Girl 202 Josephine 279
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Welcome to Our
Playground 205 2005–06 Autumn/Winter 282
Dior Haute Couture: Freud/Fetish 208 Dior Ready-to-Wear: Off Duty Icons 282
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Renée 284
2001 Spring/Summer 212 Dior Haute Couture: Monsieur Dior’s 100th
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Trailer-Park Chic 212 Birthday Anniversary 286
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Picasso 214
Dior Haute Couture: Comic Strip Warriors 217
4 Table of Contents
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2006 Spring/Summer 290 2009–10 Autumn/Winter 345
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Nude 290 Dior Ready-to-Wear: Orientalist 345
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Everybody’s Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Ukrainian Brides 347
Beautiful 292 Dior Haute Couture: Cabine Fever 349
Dior Haute Couture: The Passion 295
2010 Spring/Summer 353
2006–07 Autumn/Winter 298 Dior Ready-to-Wear: Film Noir 353
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Gothic Chic 298 Galliano Ready-to-Wear: (Silver Screen) 355
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Gothic Americana 300 Dior Haute Couture: Equestrienne/
Dior Haute Couture: Planet Botticelli 302 Charles James 358
2007 Spring/Summer 305 2010–11 Autumn/Winter 361
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Back to Basics 305 Dior Ready-to-Wear: The Seduction of the
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: The Work of Fabergé, As Libertine 361
Seen Through the Eyes of Jeff Koons and Roy Galliano Ready-to-Wear: (Nomadic Tribal
Lichtenstein 307 Princesses) 363
Dior Haute Couture: Madame Butterfly 309 Dior Haute Couture: Floral Line 365
2007–08 Autumn/Winter 314 2011 Spring/Summer 368
Dior Ready-to-Wear: (Return to Luxury) 314 Dior Ready-to-Wear: South Pacific 368
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: The Family That Eats Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Portrait of the Muse 370
Together, Stays Together 317 Dior Haute Couture: René Gruau 373
The Death of Steven Robinson 319
Dior Haute Couture: Le Bal des Artistes 320 2011–12 Autumn/Winter 376
Dior Ready-to-Wear: (English Romantic Poets) 376
2008 Spring/Summer 324 Galliano Ready-to-Wear: (Untitled) 378
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Gangster Girls 324
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: It’s All in the Stars/Grey Renaissance 380
Gardens 326
Dior Haute Couture: Madame X & Klimt 328 Margiela: Margiela Artisanal collection Spring/
Summer 2015 380
2008–09 Autumn/Winter 330
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Pure Glamour 330 Credits 383
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: Pleasure Dome 332
Index 387
Dior Haute Couture: Contemporary Couture 334
2009 Spring/Summer 337
Dior Ready-to-Wear: Tribal Chic 337
Galliano Ready-to-Wear: British 339
Dior Haute Couture: Flemish Old Masters 342
Names in brackets are unofficial working titles
Table of Contents 5
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I would like to express my gratitude to the lecturers and archivists at Central Saint
s
Martins: Howard Tangye, Bobby Hillson, Anna Buruma and Alistair O’Neill. Thanks
also to collectors and makers who allowed access to their personal archives – Steven
t Philip, Hamish Bowles, Iain R. Webb, Matthew Greer, Slim Barrett and Mark Walsh.
n
I am indebted to those who shared their memories of working/collaborating with
John Galliano: Johann Brun, Paul Frecker, Gail Downey, Tom Mannion, Neil Mersh,
e
Deborah Andrews, Mark Mattock, Vanessa Newman, William Casey, Bouke de
Vries, Dovanna Pagowski, William Casey, Patrick Cox, Lorraine Piggott, Sue Bottjer,
m Karen Crichton, Ian Bibby, Luiven Rivas-Sanchez, Patricia Belford, Hannah Wood-
house, Stephen Jones, Limpet Barron O’Connor, Maria Lemos, Julie Verhoeven,
Danda Jaroljmek, Lars Nilsson, Katell le Bourhis, and the late Michael Howells.
e Special thanks to Olivier Bialobos, Jérôme Gautier, Philippe Le Moult and Dior
Héritage for allowing me access to their archives – in particular, Soizic Pfaff and
Solène Auréal-Lamy. Special thanks also to Yoox Net-A-Porter Group, Tara Tier-
g
ney and Felicia Scicluna for providing access to the Runway Show Collection and
archives of Galliano (1985–2010) and Dior (1997–2010) catwalk shows, interviews
and backstage footage. Thanks to the Givenchy archive, and to Brett Croft at Condé
d
Nast for allowing access to the Vogue archive.
e I am particularly grateful for the access to the Bloomsbury Fashion Photography
Archive, which was invaluable, as was the encouragement and support of my
Bloomsbury editors Lee Ripley and Frances Arnold. Thank you to Alex Dives who
l
originally suggested me for this project.
w
This book would never have got off the ground without the support of my col-
leagues Kate Osborn and Lucy Bishop; research assistants Waleria Dorogova and
o
Alex Baddeley; and Olga Kott for studio photography.
Thank you also to museums, archivists, dealers and auction rooms who kindly
n
shared images with me: Jorge Yarur at Museo de la Moda, Brigitte Pellereau at Patri-
moine John Galliano, Marilyn Glass, Resurrection Vintage Archive, Roger Vale and
k Brian Purdy, Cheryl Vick/MRS Couture, Cris Consignment, Gregory Chester, Doyle,
Sotheby’s, and Tennants Auctioneers.
c
Final thanks to my husband Paul Mack for his patience and forbearance whilst I
switched off from daily life and became engrossed in the creative genius of John
a Galliano.
7
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A portrait of John Galliano from 1985 by Tom Mannion dressed in Ludic Game pieces.
8
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Introduction: The Genius
of John Galliano
There is something special about a Galliano gar- hôtel particulier in borrowed diamonds; the out-
ment – it could be the shape of a lapel, the curve of rageous lavishness of the Diorient Express, which
a sleeve, the play with proportions or the combina- included a real steam train, acres of orange sand
tion of unusual fabrics. and Moroccan tents; and the romantic beauty of “A
Poetic Tribute to the Marchesa Casati”, staged at the
It was at Dior that Galliano was given free reign Opéra Garnier, with a finale of fluttering paper but-
to indulge his fantasies and ideas, which resulted terflies cascading from the gilded ceilings.
in some of the most spectacular clothing ever to
grace the Paris catwalks. Galliano is something of Over the years I have been frustrated at the lack of
an alchemist, taking fabrics and transforming them accurate information about this important and influ-
into the most magical, romantic or cutting-edge ential designer, despite the fact that he was made
fashions. British Fashion Designer of the year four times, was
awarded a CBE and also the Légion d’Honneur. In
Not only were the clothes spectacular – so were the the past, Galliano’s early years (pre-internet) were
shows. Weeks in advance, curiosity was piqued, the often mis-catalogued even by prestigious museums.
scene set and the fashion-fable behind the collec- It became my mission to research each collection,
tion narrated when an intriguing invitation dropped to examine original garments where possible, note
through the mailbox. These included Victorian the key design features and record the changes in
books with handwritten notes, tea-stained treas- labelling with the passage of time. I hope this fin-
ure maps, records, ballet slippers with tin whistles, ished work will be of aid to collectors, museums
Russian dolls and rusty keys with antiquated script and Galliano fans alike.
tags.
For the early, London-based collections, I was priv-
The “happenings” began with his degree show as ileged to meet and interview many of the people
his friends “stormed” up and down the St Martins who worked alongside him in the studio. During
catwalks dressed as Incroyables charging the barri- the 1980s it was possible to produce collections
cades. Over the decades there were to be many great with relatively small fabric orders using out-
fashion moments, including Kate Moss, memorable worker machinists, when Galliano himself pressed
as his Princess Lucretia fleeing imaginary wolves the clothes ready for dispatch to the shops. How
in a large swaying crinoline; the intimate mise- times have changed. In a sense, Galliano’s career
en-scène created for his exquisite Black collection reflects the changes in the fashion industry itself
with just eighteen looks, where the models snaked from something akin to a cottage industry to the
through Sao Schlumberger’s eighteenth-century multi-billion-dollar brands of today.
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Galliano in his role as Creative Director during the few. Even with a team of talented, skilled individu-
2000s produced twelve collections a year: Dior als, his workload during the 2000s was extreme by
haute couture spring and fall, plus Galliano and any standards.
Dior ready-to-wear for both seasons, additional
pre-collections, cruise collections and, from 2004, Over many decades working as a specialist fash-
Galliano menswear. Galliano’s keen eye ensured ion auctioneer, I have been well-placed to handle
that the stores, marketing, shops, perfume, hand- numerous important garments both inside and out
bags, shoes and jewellery reflected the “look” of from all the greats – including Charles Frederick
each collection. Worth, Paul Poiret, Madeleine Vionnet, Elsa Schia-
parelli, Gabrielle Chanel, Christian Dior and Cris-
Of course, Galliano didn’t achieve this all by him- tobal Balenciaga, to name but a few. In my opinion,
self. Even as a student Galliano surrounded himself John Galliano richly deserves his place alongside
with good people, and throughout his career he them in the pantheon of true Fashion Masters of
collaborated with some of the best in the business, the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Spectacular
including Amanda Harlech, Steven Robinson, Ste- Fashion is a tribute to the creative output and roller-
phen Jones, Nick Knight, Michael Howells, Julien coaster career of this fashion genius.
D’Ys, Pat McGrath and Patrick Cox, to name just a
Fashion sketch by Galliano when a student at St Martins, 1982.
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