John Galliano at Paris Fashion Week. Photo courtesy of John Galliano
DESIGNER: Surrounded by scandal, the planned show for John Galliano's eponymous line was scrapped in favour of a more intimate and pared-down presentation.
INSPIRATION: Decadent aristocrats, with just a hint of old Shanghai exoticism.
TOP LOOKS: Couture-like details reigned; a mint green kimono coat was embellished with bugle beads to pin-prick detail, while bias-cut lavander evening dresses fluttered with a thousand hand-sewn squares of silk.
WHO WAS THERE: In a bizarre set-up that made them look like part of the set design, André Leon Talley, Grace Coddington and Joan Burstein held court on baroque sofas surrounded by piles of fruit and flowers. Meanwhile everyone else sat where they could (there was no time for seating allocations) . This resulted in the British Vogue team, several international fashion editors and a high profile Harvey Nichols buyer happily perching on the stairs.
WHAT WE THOUGHT: Given recent events, we were in two minds on whether to report on the collection. But sitting just centimetres away from where the models stopped to take to pose for attendees, it was hard to deny that the pieces themselves were truly exquisite.
Galliano built a reputation in the fashion industry as a showman with a knack for the theatrical; but this simple, pared-down salon show allowed the audience to appreciate just what has made him one of the biggest design names of our time. Hyperbole aside, the impeccable cutting and tailoring coupled with an imaginative use of fabrics, detailing and embellishment were apparent in every inch of the collection. And that just made the shocking events of the past couple of weeks seem that bit more sad.