John Galliano - Designer, Creative Director of Maison Margiela

[bennyboy]

I wish he could back to his own brand and make it shine .

 

[Irere]

I saw a video about the embroiders in India who worked secretly for Dior for years, and now Dior is publicly acnoleging their work, etc.

I've been told all that elaborate embroidery and especially sequin work that Alessandro Michele had been using during his time at Gucci — the giant Paramount logos, the tigers, all that — came from India. The person who told me this (I can't remember what brand they worked for, unfortunately) said India's "the best place for that."

 

[Creative]

Him at Fendi would make 0 sense to me. He’s pretty much a one trick pony (which in his case it doesn’t bother me).

I could only imagine him at Givenchy again, in a maison with a little bit of couture history.

I’m just puzzled that he’s eager to come back after all that LVMH did to him and his brand. He doesn’t seem very smart though, maybe that’s why.

I still have it super present. They were beyond hateful and mean to him. I might be too rancorous, but…

 

[jeanclaude]

1000000000%

Guys and girls in private schools are just rich kids who like shopping. It’s really terrible. And somebody from a public school will never make it to LVMH for example. Really sad.

Regarding John leaving… if he goes to LVMH, it would be the most ridiculous thing ever. What they did to him was beyond shady. They treated him so bad. I could never.

And the ironic thing is that LVMH keeps bragging and bragging about their "diversity and inclusion" policies...well, what about including people who studied at an unknown public school??

 

[Creative]

And the ironic thing is that LVMH keeps bragging and bragging about their "diversity and inclusion" policies...well, what about including people who studied at an unknown public school??

yeah, I totally get what you mean.

Fashion is run by rich or kind of rich people. My direct boss 4 years ago was flying in a private plane and secretly going to Chanel HC shows as a client, lmao. And I doubt her income was more than 200K. Right now it’s more of the same, the higher I get, the richer my bosses are. And rich people usually don’t like poor/normal people.

 

[IndigoHomme]

If John is thinking about retirement, a Haute Couture collection for Jean-Paul Gaultier would be an excellent finishing touch to his career.

 

[CholoChic]

Who for example? Is there anyone out there who studied in public school with enough genius, the necessary talent that we are missing and who is worthy of taking over from the great creatives of fashion?
I believe that most of great fashion genius whose legacy is still alive or remembered has not studied in any school.

And the ironic thing is that LVMH keeps bragging and bragging about their "diversity and inclusion" policies...well, what about including people who studied at an unknown public school??

 

[blueorchid]

Who for example? Is there anyone out there who studied in public school with enough genius, the necessary talent that we are missing and who is worthy of taking over from the great creatives of fashion?

Well, we don't know because they're not hired... that's the point.

 

[Lola701]

Understandable but lazy. If they want fresh ideas, new blood, they should cast a wider net.

And why would linkedin not be helpful? Is there something special about fashion that linkedin can't accomodate? Sorry, but this hiring process based on connections, friends, lovers is so primitive and can bring the worst vices into a business. Not a fan.

I saw a video about the embroiders in India who worked secretly for Dior for years, and now Dior is publicly acnoleging their work, etc. I mean, think about a girl from India who does embroidery really well and how a online platform like linkedin or Behance could help her find a job in Paris or something. Talent is everywhere, Lola. The world is much bigger than CSM or the french schools. Even France is bigger than Paris, as I think you know more than me.

The industry's narrow point of view can only lead to us here speculating about a mature designer's new job.

I agree, the world is bigger but the problem is that it has added confusions.
Because fashion is more glamorous than ever before (to people), there are a lot of talents. And with the corporatization of fashion, it was about to happen.

I hate sometimes to talk about things with the theory logic because there’s pragmatism and economic realities. And at some point, when you choose all the talents who comes from business schools to handle the business side, there’s maybe a need for some equivalence and balance of ego from the creative side.

The reality was that fashion for a longtime was an industry that people joined through passion or connection. I was a « Nemo baby ». If my grandmother wasn’t a petite main at a fashion house, I would have probably never worked in fashion. I had a passion but I discovered the industry while I was in it…

For me it make sense that the industry is structuring itself. It also make sense that people have career paths that exclude being a Creative Director. Yes, Pharrell is the CD of Louis Vuitton menswear but without the permanent designers, who probably enjoy their job better than if they were CD, it would be impossible.

So, yes, in theory, it would be fabulous if a talented human being would be discovered in the suburbs of Calcutta to become the next CD of Chanel. But it won’t happen. It’s a beautiful fairytale but it won’t happen.

And Schools are doing a good lobby job to attract brands to their schools.

I have 1 nephew and 1 niece who wants to work in fashion. I would never advise them to go to CSM.

 

[CholoChic]

But unlike before, now the internet exists to show genius among other things.
The great designers of yesteryear did something that no one else did, and they forged their names through talent, innovation and creativity. Now I see that everyone does the same thing and copies the same thing with the phrase "inspired by..."

Well, we don't know because they're not hired... that's the point.

 

[blueorchid]

But unlike before, now the internet exists to show genius among other things.
The great designers of yesteryear did something that no one else did, and they forged their names through talent, innovation and creativity.

Sure, but do you think these people are looking on the internet to find genius... that's laughable.

Also, the great designers from yesteryear also often had significant help and connections, very few came from truly nothing. Lots of designers ended up who they were or got started because of connections, even small ones.

 

[CholoChic]

If there is any genius out there, we should follow him. With so many people shining on the internet there must be some fashion genius breaking the internet.

Sure, but do you think these people are looking on the internet to find genius... that's laughable.

Also, the great designers from yesteryear also often had significant help and connections, very few came from truly nothing. Lots of designers ended up who they were or got started because of connections, even small ones.

 

[Lola701]

Who for example? Is there anyone out there who studied in public school with enough genius, the necessary talent that we are missing and who is worthy of taking over from the great creatives of fashion?
I believe that most of great fashion genius whose legacy is still alive or remembered has not studied in any school.

But the word genius doesn’t mean anything as it can only be applied on a long lasting level. And can we be honest? Generally geniuses integrate the industry through knowing people or having « culot ». That’s how you have people who are self taught in fashion. Your talent gets you to meet people who then will allow you to nurture it.

If we talk public schools and designers today. Pierre Hardy, Julien Dossena, Bouchra Jarrar, Guillaume Henry or Alexandre Mattiussi went to public schools. Was it instrumental in their career? I don’t think so. But it gave them a foot in the door . They succeed by themselves because out of all the students those schools, private or public, had, only a few of them became household names.

And the ironic thing is that LVMH keeps bragging and bragging about their "diversity and inclusion" policies...well, what about including people who studied at an unknown public school??

But does it work like that in others industries? The best talents, even if they comes from « unknown public schools » can through their grades, joined more reputable schools where their talent will match the reputation of the schools and then allow them to choose which companies they want to work with.

 

[blueorchid]

If there is any genius out there, we should follow him. With so many people shining on the internet there must be some fashion genius breaking the internet.

As the question goes: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

 

[CholoChic]

That takes me back to Galliano's graduation collection and Christian Dior's first collection. These simply shined on their own.

 

[Lola701]

That takes me back to Galliano's graduation collection and Christian Dior's first collection. These simply shined on their own.

It’s uncomparable…
Context changes everything in the out look of the conversation.
Galliano graduated in 1984 at a school that wasn’t recognized, in a much smaller industry. Being at CSM at that didn’t meant anything. He owes his career to his determination, to the people who believed in him and to connections.

And John’s breakthrough collection came 10 years after his graduation.
Margiela had probably the spark of genius when he graduated but unlike John, he decided to work for someone first. His talent allowed him to join Gaultier. Now think about all the connections he made in 3 years. He was already a household name when John moved his collections to Paris.

 

[NoInvite]

There are a lot of talents around the world that does not have the "right connection" schools provides the right environment and packaging to feed these talents to the industry. At CSM I think you learn how to package yourself and your work in the way the industry loves to see. That's why every year out of CSM there will be a viral designer.

Fashion people don't take risk anymore its so boring. Big magazines and stylists only want big designers and new ones without any connection just won't be seen in the right package that the industry wants.

In order to pave yourself in the big CD position there is a path that you need to carve and that is through the right CV, worked with the right PR, foster by the right stylist, have a good casting director for your show, lookbook shot by the cool photographer then sells at a cool store. On top from a recruiter pov there's also the paper work. Are you French or Italian, are you European? Are you from the UK? Do you have an Asian Passport those are deciding factors to get into the industry.

Today with social media there are tons of talent every season but sadly not everyone can be seen and heard the industry is just too busy. But they will all catch up once he/she/they is promoted in a big position for a few seasons then they will move on. For example Nina Ricci by the Botter couple.

 

[CholoChic]

^
Which brings me back to my first question: who, for example? Is anyone out there with enough genius being ignored or wasted or not using the Internet platforms to show what he can do with a pen and paper waiting for a big atelier to make it real?

 

[blueorchid]

If we knew who they were, we wouldn’t be discussing it.

 

[tourbillions]

all this talk but what im wondering is if the internal design teams are also all coming from these big expensive fashion schools? Certainly some of them has to come from unknown schools and was hired for their talent. And possibly even earned enough to put themself for courses at the more expensive schools to climb up the ladder. What about jacquemus and rousteing?

I wont be surprised if that has happened.