John Galliano - Designer, Creative Director of Maison Margiela

[Lola701]

The dress looks great on Kendall. It’s almost a pity that her beauty for that look is so basic.
And god I hate that wearing sheer dresses with g-strings instead of high waisted briefs.

The dress is very beautiful!

The Dior dress is badly designed. Charlize needed support for her breast. The proportions are off between the torso, the small peplum to create an illusion of a waist…
It’s very one dimensional.
MGC has made better dresses but this one is terrible.

 

[TianCouture]

The idea of John returning to anything at LVMH literally makes my stomach flip.

 

[gallianostan]

i do hope if john does return to LVMH he has a real support system in place. with the booze gone, you'd hope he'd be in a better place to create and be productive.

 

[MulletProof]

tbh I think most women can tell it’s partly the dress, partly the great investment on liposculpture when you’re already thin, the right underwear (sorry Lola, I’m trashy lol), and the corset to extra emphasize that. Both dresses can be equally elevated and look like a brothel curtain on the wrong person.

 

[jeanclaude]

"hey, my friends and i saw you across the bar and really dig your vibe. can we buy you a drink?"

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I am having nightmares seeing the sleeves from Bernard Arnault jacket!! What is that??? It looks as if they have cheap fusible interlining, which has totally unglued from them!!!

Really...how can he wear that crap, when he owns f*cking LVMH is beyond me...

 

[Lola701]

I am having nightmares seeing the sleeves from Bernard Arnault jacket!! What is that??? It looks as if they have cheap fusible interlining, which has totally unglued from them!!!

Really...how can he wear that crap, when he owns f*cking LVMH is beyond me...

He still wears Dior right?

 

[jeanclaude]

He still wears Dior right?

No idea! But you can find male SA in any random department store wearing better suits than him!! I think Bernard should buy a Savile Row company ASAP!!

 

[Cocteau Stone]

Oh my god Charlize's dress is so bad. The pulling and sagging of the fabric in the bodice is just so horrible to look at.

I have warmed up to Kendall's dress, but it is the basic beauty and the g string that I really think lets it down. I guess it was smart of her to colour match it to the corset, but it does cheapen it. A simple black brief would have sufficed although it would make the corset look a little out of place. Perhaps one of the merkins from the show should have been an option.

 

[Lola701]

No idea! But you can find male SA in any random department store wearing better suits than him!! I think Bernard should buy a Savile Row company ASAP!!

Ahahah! Or he should ask Slimane to design his suits. Or just wear Celine suits.
I’m sure Arnault is an off the rack person lol
It’s probably Dior since I know he switched to Dior when Hedi came around (they all did btw).

Galliano’s suit and coat are immaculate. Probably a bit too traditional for my taste but immaculate.

I wonder if Helene dresses her husband.
Anyway it’s not like French fashion executives put any efforts in dressing anyway…

 

[LadyJunon]

Unless it's at his own brand and under his own terms, I hope he stays far away from LVMH. They made their embroidered tulle bed, so let them lie in it. It makes them money anyway.

 

[deango]

 

[PDFSD]

Just seen the Mubi documentary so many beautiful moments/memories growing up seeing JG and force of his creativity,what i found less authentic was Johns willingness for accountability when it came to the not important people that could give him back his access to create with people like Philippe and recollection when it came to the incidents .( this should have been ironed out before this documentary on his side and his team its just messy )

Philippe even if a victim of one of his insults rants and his life turned upside down after the events took place, stood up for himin press saying he does not believe John was a racist. A statement Philipe now regrets as he never received a apology letter or a face to face encounter with John since then, and he rightfully noted a true remorseful person would have done things correctly.

Yet all the other more visible entities he could reach out to (performance wise) show his remorse he did, it shows your true intentions what you do when no one is watching you.

There are moments you see John's pride still still blurring his acceptance of not fixing things post incident, and therefore i sadly believe its best he stay at margiela in a smaller scale than ever going back to a big HC house he would not survive under the pressure and all his past demons while show up stronger again.

I agree also looking back and his reactions his love of cultures is superficial in the sense it's there to feed his hunger for creativity and he is less interested if things offend or should be handled with more in depth knowledge and care.

I found it disappointing he has a side to him that his all performance/ego and even in his road to redemption this side is showing up when it should be more hartfeld and honest.

The part of friends that are celebrities or known people like Anna Wintour as well, saying this the John i know is not like that etc, even if i understand sticking up for your friend that is not perfect there needs to be a nuanced point of view to make it more credible and this part failed in the documentary.

Your friend can be mean/abusive/racist to their staff /co workers or strangers but treat their celebrity & industry friends like gods, there should have been nuanced in that coming from his supporters. Not blind dismissal from the facts.

I know indirectly two sides of John : his Dior day he was racist and mean and body shaming as well at working the studio with his comments, not only when super drunk at the bar. As my friend that worked those years under him told me many moons ago, and i know people that work with him now at Margiela say how supportive and creatieve and kind he is to his team.

All is say is from my own first hand experiences is that how other designers or celebrities behave when they are watched or are in a public or semi public setting is not the same at smaller dinners or intimate work settings.

The true opinions and nasty/racist/derogatory words & behaviors and comments come out then!!! when they think the room agrees with what they are doing or saying not when you have outsiders or fancy people around.


@mubi documentary High & Low - John Galliano is worth watching in my opinion

 

[Lola701]

I’m so fascinated by your review @PDFSD because even when I was still working in fashion, up until this day, I’ve always had the feeling that John was performing. For me, « John Galliano » the designer as we know him is a total performance.
One thing that has always felt real was his love for fashion and story telling but even after the controversy, he did an interview on French TV back then.
It was somehow surprising that years of abuse were suddenly erased just with one year of rehab/therapy.
Didn’t he dressed like a Rabbi with the hat and hair after the controversy when he went to NYC or something like that?

My theory for his comments was always that his anger was directed towards Toledano, that maybe he felt trapped and that Toledano, being Jew was really the person he was intended his commentaries too but couldn’t say it to him. And somehow, I thought that he resulted to the most horrid comments he could said to his boss.

But from what I have read he has never apologized to the people he insulted but apologized to his former bosses..Weird.

I haven’t watched the documentary but I’m very curious and excited to.

I was watching his Madame Butterfly collection lately because there’s one of my all time favorite Dior dress there. And seeing him in Napoleon was so troubling to me…

It seemed fun back then but irl it said everything about his ego.

Galliano is one of those designers who had that rag to riches story and it’s sometimes impossible for people to believe that people coming from a humble background can have huge ego, be a bit delusional and disconnected.
Ultimately, John lived the life he always dreamed of. So he was probably already that man before the money…

From the various reviews I have read, I wonder if this movie will be good for him really.

I guess everybody have their favorite problematic creative.

I love Karl so…

 

[PDFSD]

I’m so fascinated by your review @PDFSD because even when I was still working in fashion, up until this day, I’ve always had the feeling that John was performing. For me, « John Galliano » the designer as we know him is a total performance.
One thing that has always felt real was his love for fashion and story telling but even after the controversy, he did an interview on French TV back then.
It was somehow surprising that years of abuse were suddenly erased just with one year of rehab/therapy.
Didn’t he dressed like a Rabbi with the hat and hair after the controversy when he went to NYC or something like that?

My theory for his comments was always that his anger was directed towards Toledano, that maybe he felt trapped and that Toledano, being Jew was really the person he was intended his commentaries too but couldn’t say it to him. And somehow, I thought that he resulted to the most horrid comments he could said to his boss.

But from what I have read he has never apologized to the people he insulted but apologized to his former bosses..Weird.

I haven’t watched the documentary but I’m very curious and excited to.

I was watching his Madame Butterfly collection lately because there’s one of my all time favorite Dior dress there. And seeing him in Napoleon was so troubling to me…

It seemed fun back then but irl it said everything about his ego.

Galliano is one of those designers who had that rag to riches story and it’s sometimes impossible for people to believe that people coming from a humble background can have huge ego, be a bit delusional and disconnected.
Ultimately, John lived the life he always dreamed of. So he was probably already that man before the money…

From the various reviews I have read, I wonder if this movie will be good for him really.

I guess everybody have their favorite problematic creative.

I love Karl so…

My theory for his comments was always that his anger was directed towards Toledano, that maybe he felt trapped and that Toledano, being Jew was really the person he was intended his commentaries too but couldn’t say it to him. And somehow, I thought that he resulted to the most horrid comments he could said to his boss.
This part they talk about as well i don't want spoil it but John is not clear on his motives and you will see exactly the things you mentioned above in plain sight.

Didn’t he dressed like a Rabbi with the hat and hair after the controversy when he went to NYC or something like that?
Also this is mentioned and shown but John plays into that he is about the beauty of it all ....again no accountability or sensitivity Vanessa Freeman in the documentary says it clearly as well as Robin Givan

Napoleon part is also mentioned by the interviewer John gets a bit annoyed saying you asked me 3 times laughing etc

I love Karl as well even if some comments i found less than intelligent but Karl is far from what John is dealing with.

i went to only one dior show of his and always found the end final bow cringe and his post show interviews gay drama queen that part of his act was theatrical and performance total, i just expect that when you sober up when it came to more serious matter the performance meaning being really remorseful and act as such would be clearer.

shorly said i feel strongly he is faking it to just get his place back in society because that's where he belongs as a fashion icon in his mind

 

[Salvatore]

I got Mubi just to watch this and I am excited ! I will report back soon what my feelings are.

 

[Lola701]

My theory for his comments was always that his anger was directed towards Toledano, that maybe he felt trapped and that Toledano, being Jew was really the person he was intended his commentaries too but couldn’t say it to him. And somehow, I thought that he resulted to the most horrid comments he could said to his boss.
This part they talk about as well i don't want spoil it but John is not clear on his motives and you will see exactly the things you mentioned above in plain sight.

Didn’t he dressed like a Rabbi with the hat and hair after the controversy when he went to NYC or something like that?
Also this is mentioned and shown but John plays into that he is about the beauty of it all ....again no accountability or sensitivity Vanessa Freeman in the documentary says it clearly as well as Robin Givan

Napoleon part is also mentioned by the interviewer John gets a bit annoyed saying you asked me 3 times laughing etc

I love Karl as well even if some comments i found less than intelligent but Karl is far from what John is dealing with.

i went to only one dior show of his and always found the end final bow cringe and his post show interviews gay drama queen that part of his act was theatrical and performance total, i just expect that when you sober up when it came to more serious matter the performance meaning being really remorseful and act as such would be clearer.

shorly said i feel strongly he is faking it to just get his place back in society because that's where he belongs as a fashion icon in his mind

I love Karl because you know what you get. And that’s the kind of people I like in fashion and generally, I prefer when insiders have good things to say about someone rather than the social media approval from kids or whoever.
There are a lot of faux-gentils in fashion.

Even if I’m a bit off-topic, Alexander McQueen was insanely rude. Give me a Hedi Slimane all day, who can be harsh, who had his ignorant moment on social media but is still respectful to people.

Anyway, my curiosity is through the roof now.
I have attended some shows too, from his own line and for Dior. Tbh, there was always that kind of joyful atmosphere in his shows and so his bows became part of the spectacle. But I must say that he wore his substances abuses on his face at one point.

It kinda became pathetic when the collections became repetitive and bad.

I think what will be the most crucial part for me and maybe the most disappointing is his approach to culture in his creation.
From the moment I started to work in fashion a great deal was made in the industry of those trips he made in the world to feed his creativity. And from what I read, it was much more superficial than that…
And it’s an interesting topic that was raised when Karl started to do travel destination shows, inspired by the cities, where he refused to travel to the said destinations, choosing instead to read and document himself.
That approach was seen as less culturally sensitive because he didn’t made the effort to go.

So, to read that for John it was just a kind of grab and go exploration is a bit surprising.

What do you think this documentary will do to John’s image? If it was a more mainstream release, could it be more hurtful than the intent?
Btw, I don’t know if having Naomi Campbell as an advocate is a good idea but oh well…

 

[PDFSD]

I don't think this documentary gives him a better chance for another high profile job when industrie professionals or CEO´s see it, you can see a troubled person through the cracks still struggling with realties outside his fantasy world of escapism.

But because the edits are fast sometimes with the interviewers voices heard before you see them makes it tricky sometimes to grasp what has been said as reaction etc therefore many will just see it superficially when it comes to the subject of his antics and his redemption tour and the criticism on it.

I just feel it should have been handled with more care and he should have been prepared by his team and lawyer and therapist/doctor better with the facts and a clear idea for approach for the message he wanted to get across.

i think it will just be blip on the radar in the end this documentary, news cycle is fast , unless someone writes a critical review of it and has influence online i could see a more negative noise around his name.

 

[Salvatore]

So ... watching the documentary and them showing shots from the various shows throughout the years, it was like reliving my younger years when fashion was exciting and I consumed it voraciously. The same feelings and emotions I had back then all rushed in. During that period John made me dream. I never imagined what was going on behind the scenes. John and Steven relied heavily on each other (and substances) and that was their downfall it seems. Steven really seemed to be the one curating and reeling John in while pushing him further. I don't want to go as far as to say the mastermind behind the collections, but his hand/eye was influential and crucial to shaping the collections we love. He could not have done Dior without him I don't believe and that was shown in the collections after Steven's death as they were, quite frankly, mostly crap.

My views about the incident .... it's troubling and strange that he did not apologize to Philippe, but did apologize to Sidney, especially after Philippe did defend him and probably was partially responsible for him getting off with lesser fines/charges. Philippe was not important in his eyes I guess. John said he did apologize in court, but it sounded very general. I don't know ... this shows something very peculiar in his character. The abused/bullied becomes the abuser/bully is what it feels like.

I do think John was performing a little in this documentary now that I see it in full, but just in a different way from how he came out during the finales of the Dior and Galliano shows. I couldn't stand that back then and watching that back now, it's even more cringe. He made it too much about himself. I do not know if I want him fully back at a "big" house like Givenchy, but one collection at a haute couture house just to see. Overall, I enjoyed the documentary !

 

[Lola701]

I have always been curious about Alexis Roche. He is there, always there but seems very silent, almost absent as a support system…

 

[PDFSD]

I have always been curious about Alexis Roche. He is there, always there but seems very silent, almost absent as a support system…

he party as well and enjoy the fruits of Johns labor :-) don't think he is the silent mouse, he is sober enough to pick him up but no master mind of reason either.