Part romantic, part maverick, Galliano is as revered for his fantastical imagination as for his deft design skills. His collections are stupendous mixes of nostalgia, a jumbling together of historic eras and references founded on expertly precise and technical tailoring; think ‘30s-style bias-cut gowns and impeccably tailored suits that manage to look as much a part of the future as the past. No longer plagued by the unstable financial backing of a decade ago, Galliano is now part of the stable of luxury designer firms held by French conglomerate LVMH. In 1995, LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault tapped Galliano as chief designer of Givenchy—controversial, as he was the first Brit to hold the post—then deposited him two years later as head of design at Christian Dior. Galliano now creates some dozen collections a year, including couture, ready-to-wear, accessories and eyewear for Dior, as well as directing his own eponymous label. A clash of historical eras, a fantasy of theatrics and thoroughly modern technical skills. Infamous looks include the fragile 1930’s style bias-cut gowns based on Princess Lucretia and her escape from Russia, and the pristinely tailored suits from the Fall ’05 collection reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich. White pants cut on the bias slenderize the leg; jackets pin-tucked to the waist explode in a bloom of marabou-trimmed ruffles at a portrait neckline.
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