John Galliano

Biography

Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano Guillén is a British fashion designer, acclaimed for his fusion of romantic historicism with technical skills and progressive aesthetics. Born in 1960 in Gibraltar, Galliano came to fame through his 1984 graduate collection for Central St. Martin's College of Art and Design, 'Les Incroyables'. The collection announced Galliano's signature strategy of reviving the past whilst heralding in the new. 'Les Incroyables' was famously bought in its entirety by Joan Burstein, the owner of Browns boutique in London and displayed in its front windows: an unprecedented and prestigious endorsement. Galliano set up his own label in that year with the immensely successful 'Ludic Games' collection and he enjoyed consistent critical acclaim throughout the decade, championed in particular by fashion editor Anna Wintour, in spite of looming financial pressures. Galliano won the British Fashion Council's Designer of the Year award in 1987, 1994, 1994 and 1997. Financial pressures were assuaged in 1995, when he was invited to become the head designer of ready-to-wear and haute couture collections for Givenchy, becoming the first Brit to design for the label. This controversial appointment on the part of the LVMH luxury conglomerate was compounded when Galliano was appointed as the new head designer of LVMH's flagship, traditional fashion brand Christian Dior in 1996, bringing modernity and vigour back to the iconic institution. He was dismissed from the brand in 2011. In 2014, Galliano was named artistic director at Maison Martin Margiela, making his comeback to the industry. The French luxury house was renamed Maison Margiela and Galliano presented his debut collection for the Artisanal haute couture line in 2015. Galliano's tenure has been met with critical acclaim, establishing his own codes surrounding gender fluidity, sexuality and rebellion whilst respecting the house's ethos.