Galliano shows his artistry in debut collection for Maison Margiela

In an anonymous office tower near Buckingham Palace, a new chapter quietly and discreetly opened in John Galliano’s life when he presented a small debut collection for Maison Margiela to friends and a handful of fashion press.

Galliano’s highly anticipated return to the fashion fold showed that his absence,  following an anti-Semetic rant in 2011 that went viral, has not diminished his creative powers. His ‘Artisan’ couture collection ranged from the  extravagant aesthetic for which he is renowned, to designs of sublime simplicity.

In front of friends that included Anna Wintour, Alber Elbaz,  Kate Moss and Jasper Conran (whom Galliano assisted in his early days) and photographer Nick Knight,  the one-time Christian Dior designer paid homage to the artisan skills of Maison Margiela, now controlled by Only the Brave group. Galliano took his bow in a signature white Margiela lab coat - a far cry from his previous end of show flamboyance.

Only the Brave president Renzo Rosso, who gave Galliano his second chance, said, “We wanted to create a new era for Margiela and a new era for John and thanks to the superb talent of John’s I think we can make a super contribution to the fashion world.”

The  intimate show of 24 outfits revealed Galliano at his best, exploring a treasure chest of vintage fabrics and using an eclectic mix of discarded objects from exotic shells, glittering jewels and pearls to create flamboyant dresses and coats. This arcane concept of a collection evolving from “found objects” has always underpinned Margiela’s Artisan line, and the craftsmanship in the Margiela ateliers is every bit equal to that of Christian Dior.